-
1 day ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
Nineteen countries are taking part as observers in this year’s Balikatan military exercise led by the Philippines and the United States – a record turnout that signals growing international alignment with Manila’s defence posture amid heightened security concerns in the Indo-Pacific. About 17,000 troops are taking part in the annual war games, which began on Monday and will run until May 9. Japan and Australia are joining the Philippines and the US as the main participants.
-
2 days ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
With midterm elections just weeks away in the Philippines, analysts say overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) could help decide the fate of candidates locked in tight races. The OFW vote heavily backed former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 and could once again prove pivotal – if logistical hurdles and low voter turnout do not undermine its full potential.
-
3 days ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
A new study has shed light on how the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China is playing out at the local level in the Philippines, with provincial support for national security strategies often shaped by economic ties and exposure to Chinese activities in the South China Sea.
-
1 week ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
The United States might be forced to recalibrate its tariffs on defence partners, after Manila’s top envoy to Washington admitted that the levies would affect its ability to buy new American weapon systems and fulfil a US$5.6 billion deal for F-16 fighter jets.
-
1 week ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
Southeast Asian nations and China have resumed long-stalled talks on a proposed code of conduct in the South China Sea, but observers remain divided on whether Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean will deliver the breakthrough that has eluded negotiators for more than two decades. From April 9 to 11, technical working group-level discussions were held in Manila, co-chaired by Malaysia and China.
-
1 week ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
A clear majority of Filipinos now believe former president Rodrigo Duterte should stand trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over killings linked to his bloody war on drugs, a new survey has shown – a “noticeable shift” that analysts say reflects waning public support for the once-popular leader and his hardline policies.
-
1 week ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
A senatorial candidate touted as an opposition bet in the Philippines’ coming midterm elections has faced widespread criticism among progressive voters for her conservative stance on same-sex marriage. The controversy surrounding Heidi Mendoza, a former United Nations undersecretary general and ex-state auditor, has sparked discourse on the issues that voters should prioritise to increase headway for independent candidates.
-
2 weeks ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
Continuous cuts in foreign aid by Western governments such as the United States may aggravate a power imbalance between Southeast Asia and China, according to findings from a study on the region’s approach to China’s aid. The study also found that countries had different strategies for accepting aid from Beijing. Southeast Asian states with acute development needs and constrained access to development financing, such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, were found to be the most reliant on China.
-
2 weeks ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
Myanmar’s deadly earthquake has exposed the vacuum left by the United States’ retreat from foreign aid, prompting calls for Asean to assert leadership before major powers like China shape the humanitarian response to their advantage. More than 3,000 people were killed by the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, flattening buildings and overwhelming local responders.
-
3 weeks ago | 
scmp.com | Sam Beltran
The Philippines is positioning itself as an emerging secondary hub in China-based firms’ global supply chains to avoid the brunt of US tariffs, but analysts are split on whether its growing investment appeal can be sustained without deepening strategic vulnerabilities in its fraught relationship with Beijing.
