For three months in 2012, the Philippines engaged China in a dangerous standoff near Scarborough Shoal. This maritime incident between the two countries began on April 10 when the Philippine Navy dispatched its flagship, the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, to Scarborough Shoal to apprehend eight Chinese boats allegedly illegally fishing in this land feature. Both countries were claiming this feature.

At the onset of the standoff, China immediately had the upper hand when it used a civilian vessel to force a Philippine Navy surface combatant to back away and withdraw from the shoal. More significantly, the standoff also exposed the Navy’s weakness. Read More

Much has been said about the Indo-Pacific in the contemporary geopolitical and strategic discourse. Although there are varying views about its definition and geographical scope, global powers have started to recognize its growing importance and role in shaping the international order.

For instance, the United States, Japan and Australia have integrated the concept of the Indo-Pacific into their regional engagement and strategic interests. Similarly, the European Union (EU) has also adopted an Indo-Pacific strategy to recalibrate its geopolitical outlook and establish a coordinated approach to the region. Read More

The balance of power and the dynamics between states in the Indo-Pacific have continued to shift due to the region’s evolving security landscape. Power shifts, territorial disputes, and potential conflicts prompt states to recalibrate their existing policies based on the perceived and real impact of these developments on their economic growth and national interests. Moreover, emerging security challenges highlight the critical importance of multilateral cooperation in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Over the years, regional players such as France have become a contributory force for stability in the Indo-Pacific. Read More

The need to hasten the building of digital infrastructures has become more crucial than ever. As the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the immense value of digital connectivity for survival, the Philippines should transform and be open to new ways of doing business to be globally competitive. Emerging new technologies could only be maximized in the presence of digital infrastructures that would enable their growth and acceleration. Ultimately, these kinds of investments are key to bridging the digital divide and pursuing broad-based prosperity. At this point, nobody should be left behind. Read More

Two dangerous flashpoints currently surround the Philippines. The first is the West Philippine Sea dispute, where an expansionist China confronts the Philippines and three littoral Southeast Asian states in the South China Sea. The second and more dangerous one is the Taiwan Straits Crisis, where China is pursuing its irredentist claim against the self-governing island of Taiwan. 

Since 1949, China has considered Taiwan a renegade province ruled by the ousted Nationalist forces that had to be redeemed, either by force or persuasion, through a historic reunification with the mainland. Read More

On Feb. 24, Russia launched a full-scale armed invasion of Ukraine. The member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) found themselves confronted with the terrible implications of Russia’s unprovoked aggression in the Ukraine invasion.

The invasion was a blatant violation of an independent state’s sovereignty as enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Charter. Russia’s close partner in East Asia, China, might replicate Russia’s approach in pursuing its irredentist agenda. This could be achieved through its expansion into the South China Sea at the expense of other coastal states and the invasion of Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province. Read More

It appears that the dust has settled as the new administration has taken office and set its priority agenda for its first year. The country recently heard President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. give his first State of the Nation Address, with the President concluding that “the state of the nation is sound.”  

The six years of the Rodrigo Duterte administration was indeed a colorful period, to say the least. It was a time marked by strongman rule, local and international criticisms, major infrastructure projects, and a seeming pivot to China despite having an independent foreign policy. Read More