Vietnam continues to expand and develop its outposts in the Spratly Islands at a rapid pace after a “record year of island building in 2024,” a U.S. think tank said last week. In a briefing published on March 21, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) stated that Hanoi has continuedContinue Reading
The Philippines wants India and South Korea to join the “Squad” grouping of nations that has been established to curb and counter China’s growing maritime power, the country’s armed forces chief said yesterday. Speaking yesterday at the Raisina Dialogue security forum in New Delhi, Gen. Romeo S. Brawner said thatContinue Reading
The United States’ image as a guarantor of peace in the Indo-Pacific is under threat from President Donald Trump following his swift reversal of the U.S. policy of support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Trump wants a quick diplomatic settlement with Russia to end the war at the expense ofContinue Reading
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) accused the Chinese navy of “aggressive and escalatory actions,” when a navy helicopter flew close to a Philippine aircraft patrolling a contested shoal in the South China Sea. In a statement, PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela said an aircraft from the Bureau of Fisheries and AquaticContinue Reading
The Philippines military is keen on acquiring more anti-ship missiles and at least two submarines as part of its ongoing modernization program, the commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday. In a speech to leading business figures in Taguig City yesterday, Gen. Romeo BrawnerContinue Reading
Four major developments shaped the security environment in the South China Sea in 2024: (1) increased Chinese coercion against Philippine naval vessels and aircraft; (2) adoption of a new maritime defense strategy by the Philippines; (3) Vietnam’s stepped-up construction activities in the Spratly Islands; and (4) slow progress in negotiationsContinue Reading
