Don McLain GillLecturer

3 weeks ago | thinkchina.sg | Don McLain GillLecturer |De La Salle |Don Gill |Goh Choon Kang

With China in mind, the Kamandag 2025 is another opportunity for the Philippines to enhance its maritime security capabilities through its defence linkages with like-minded partners, says Manila-based analyst Don McLain Gill. The Philippine Marine Corps and the US Marine Corps have begun this year’s Kamandag, an acronym for “Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat Exercise”, which translates to “Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea”. The annual exercise is scheduled from 26 May to 6 June.

2 months ago | thinkchina.sg | Don McLain GillLecturer |De La Salle |Don Gill |Chow Yian Ping

On 24 April, China’s state-run Global Times reported that the China Coast Guard (CCG) exercised “sovereign jurisdiction” in mid-April by seizing Sandy Cay in the West Philippine Sea or what Manila calls the part of the South China Sea encompassing its lawful 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China’s state broadcaster CCTV also released photos of four CCG members posing with the Chinese flag on the sandbar, which the news channel described as a “vow of sovereignty”. ...

2 months ago | thinkchina.sg | Don McLain GillLecturer |De La Salle |Don Gill |Yu Zeyuan

The US is very much aware that its best bet is to invest in its security partnerships with allies that have the political will to punch above their weight in order to deter China’s aggression, says Manila-based analyst Don McLain Gill. While President Donald Trump’s foreign policy continues to generate scepticism among the US’s Western allies, a different picture is being painted in the Indo-Pacific, particularly concerning the security partnership between Manila and Washington.

Mar 3, 2025 | thinkchina.sg | Don McLain GillLecturer |De La Salle |Don Gill |Lianhe Zaobao

Security negotiations between India and its Southeast Asian neighbours have stepped up in recent months, observes Philippines-based analyst Don McLain Gill. Flexible in its engagement strategies, India has found a role as an alternative security partner for countries in the region. The past decade has seen a more mature shift in New Delhi’s foreign policy towards Southeast Asia, indicating a greater understanding of Southeast Asian countries’ acute security concerns.