Last June 7, the Albert del Rosario Institute hosted a forum entitled “Asia-Pacific perspective on implementing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement: Insights on the Bilateral Security Dialogue”. This event brought together participants from the Asia-Pacific region, with participating international representatives from the United States, Japan, Australia, alongside local representatives from the Diplomatic Corps and… Read More

Professor De Castro viewed EDCA from the lens of geopolitics. According to him, China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea brought geopolitics back into the Philippine national security thinking. He explained that China’s strategic goal is to assert control over the entire first island chain where the South China Sea is situated. It began its… Read More

Ms. Sharland provided a synthesis of observations, analyses and insights fleshed out so far by the resource speakers and fellow reactors with regard to EDCA. She noted that, so far, EDCA has been tackled in two (2) ways: first, as a comprehensive agreement that covers a wide range of issues, such as capability development assistance and… Read More

Mr. Gregory Poling extended Mr. Ernest Bower’s position on EDCA with a security bent. He told that the agreement is critical to the national interests of both the Philippines and the US. Philippine national interest is the preservation of exclusivity of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). On the other hand, US national interest is threefold:… Read More

Mr. Ernest Bower explored the political economic underpinnings of EDCA. He recalled that, in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s up to 2009, China responded positively to the region: it moved away from the ideological approach to foreign policy, constructively engaged its neighboring countries by boosting regional trade and investment,… Read More

In a nutshell, Professor Yakushiji discussed: the East Asian security landscape; recent developments in Japan’s bilateral relations with ASEAN, Russia, and the US; growing regional concern over China’s assertive actions in its near seas; and the necessity for collectively ensuring a stable and prosperous Asia-Pacific region. With regard to China, Professor Yakushiji disclosed that, for most Japanese… Read More