China’s military says that it conducted a patrol in the South China Sea on Friday, the same day that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived in Manila and reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to its alliance with the Philippines. On Saturday, a spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the People’sContinue Reading
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will visit the Philippines later this week, the first stop on a regional tour that will also take him to Hawai’i, Guam, and Japan and aimed at bolstering relations with “like-minded countries.” Hegseth will visit Manila on March 28-29, to “advance security objectives with PhilippineContinue Reading
The transatlantic alliance has sneezed, and the Indo-Pacific could soon catch a cold. As U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration dashes Ukraine’s hope for an immediate security guarantee and dismisses the U.K.-led “Coalition of the Willing,” his Indo-Pacific allies are watching closely. Indeed, many are curious on what Trump might doContinue Reading
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze foreign aid fostered doubts about U.S. commitment to its Philippine ally, but Washington decided to allow more than $300 million in foreign military financing to Manila to move forward. Other positive developments in alliance management – especially early high-level engagements — should help maintainContinue Reading
The Philippines expects that its existing defense arrangements with the United States will survive the Trump administration’s tumultuous early months, Manila’s ambassador to the United States said yesterday. Speaking at a forum with foreign correspondents in Manila, Jose Manuel Romualdez stated that existing defense arrangements between the two security allies,Continue Reading
The Indo-Pacific remains a shining beacon of hope in the United States’ otherwise dim foreign policy predictions. However, just like during President Donald Trump’s first term, securing U.S. interests through trade and reshaping international partnerships accordingly will remain a priority. To ensure U.S. trade, critical military, and technology supply chains,Continue Reading
Philippine soldiers will train on the U.S. military’s intermediate-range Typhon missile system during army drills next month, in preparation for the annual Salaknib Exercise between the U.S. and Philippine armies later this year. Speaking to the press yesterday, Philippine Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said that the training, which willContinue Reading
