EDCA — 9DASHLINE

As the Philippines’ 'agency' in West Philippine Sea rises, so too does its infrastructure development

Written by Joshua Bernard Espeña

In the Philippine context, the country’s newfound middle-power position offers the Southeast Asian state the ability to navigate uncertainties based on clearly defined national interests, and doubling down on its commitment to develop its infrastructures in the West Philippine Sea is one of the ways to do it.

Southeast Asia9DLMarch 21, 20249dashline, Joshua Bernard Espeña, Philippines, Philippine sea, maritime infrastructure development, Anti-Access/Area-Denial operations, A2/AD, South China Sea, SCS, drones, imagery intelligence devices, agency, assertive transparency, revisionist moves, middle-power, Southeast Asia, national interests, Philippine Congress, infrastructure development, Martin Romualdez, economic development, resource base, natural resources, Manila, diplomacy, China, Beijing, theory of victory, strategic culture, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos Jr., National Security Policy (NSP) 2023-2028, NSP 2023-2028, multipolar world, national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security, resupply missions, joint exercises, construction development, John Mearsheimer, foreign policy objectives, informational spheres, like-minded allies, domestic politics, external powers, foreign policy, Philippine-US alliance, Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, EDCA, Northern Luzon, Huang Xilian, Taiwan, Comprehensive Archipelagic Defence Concept, CADC, Armed Forces of the Philippines, AFP, Mavulis Island, Basco, Batanes province, American interests, Chinese power, Taiwan Strait, West Philippine Sea, Philippine Department of National Defence, archipelagic security, geostrategic agency, Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine-China relations, Malacañang Palace, Cheloy Serafil, Xi, Pantaleon Alvarez, appeasement, Jonathan Malaya, territory, multi-domain future warfare, warfare, As the Philippines’ 'agency' in West Philippine Sea rises, so too does its infrastructure development

Post-INF Indo-Pacific: The strategic potential of US-Philippines cooperation

Written by Rupert Schulenburg

A rotational deployment of US ground-based anti-ship missiles to Philippine bases would constitute a major deepening of US-Philippines defence cooperation and could bolster regional deterrence.

East Asia9DLMay 18, 20239dashline, Post-INF Indo-Pacific: The strategic potential of US-Philippines cooperation, RUPERT SCHULENBURG, The Philippines, China, indo-pacific, US, US military primacy, navy, US military bases, Taiwan, military capabilities, US force posture, Taiwan contingency, US-Philippines defence cooperation, regional deterrence, US-Philippines, defence cooperation, anti-ship missile system, Manila, weapons systems, conventional missile strike volume, land-based nuclear forces, precision-strike missiles, Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, Trump administration, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, INF, Russia, Mark Esper, south korea, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, THAAD, Beijing, economic boycott, conventional weapons, land-attack capability, missile-hosting nations, nuclear escalation, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, EDCA, Typhon Weapon System, TWS, Tomahawk cruise missile, US army, Block Va, naval targets, Cesar Basa Air Base, Luzon, Antonio Bautista Air Base, Palawan, Taiwan Strait, short-range ballistic missile rounds, medium-range ballistic missile, launcher, Okinawa, missile batteries, strike volume, DF-26, Guam, surface combatants, amphibious assault ships, 2+2 ministerial dialogue, 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, Marcos Jr., Philippine sea, joint patrols, South China Sea, intelligence-sharing framework, joint jet fighter exercises, Bilateral Defense Guidelines, missile-hosting agreement, Post-INF Indo-Pacific: The strategic potential of US-Philippines cooperation, Rupert Schulenburg, Philippines, United States, South Korea, Japan, Indo-Pacific, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, RAND Corporation, Rodrigo Duterte

Marcos Jr.’s Philippine foreign policy: What it means for the Indo-Pacific

Written by Joshua Bernard Espeña

It is unlikely that Manila will join Washington in balancing against Beijing — Marcos Jr has already made this clear. Neither will the country bandwagon with Beijing given domestic pressures driven by fears over creeping Chinese influence.