Southeast Asia
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Australia boosts Philippines’ maritime patrols with drones amid South China Sea tensions
Maria T. Reyes Australia’s presentation of surveillance drones to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in April 2025 significantly boosts the Philippines’ maritime domain awareness capabilities in the West Philippine Sea,…
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Australia’s deepening engagement with Philippines signals regional commitment
FORUM Staff About 260 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel joined the multinational Balikatan exercise in the Philippines in April 2025, reflecting the ADF’s increasing annual engagements in the Southeast Asian…
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Philippines condemns Beijing’s excessive claims at Sandy Cay, related manipulation of information
FORUM Staff The Philippines denounced Beijing’s latest aggressive activities in the South China Sea that include China raising its national flag on Sandy Cay and propagating false claims about the…
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Philippines to investigate possible election interference by Chinese government
Reuters Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an investigation into allegations of foreign interference in the May 2025 midterm national and local elections after a top security official warned…
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Indonesia, South Korea reaffirm defense industry ties with focus on aerospace development
Gusty Da Costa Indonesia and South Korea have reaffirmed their long-standing defense partnership, placing a sharper focus on expanding cooperation in the aviation and aerospace industries. Indonesian Deputy Defense Minister…
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Exposing Coercion
FORUM Staff China has shown clear intent through its actions in the South China Sea: to control nearly 90% of the economically vital waters, including maritime territory in the Bruneian,…
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Thailand, Vietnam deepen defense ties to tackle shared security challenges
Felix Kim The sixth Thailand-Vietnam Defense Policy Dialogue, held in Bangkok in March 2025, highlighted a strategic relationship that has matured from Cold War-era border skirmishes to a cooperative partnership.…
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Philippines set to augment burgeoning arsenal with 20 F-16 fighter jets
FORUM Staff Persevering against increased aggression, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has set its sights on new fighter jets and related military assets. The United States Defense Security…
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China’s bullying won’t deter Philippines’ South China Sea sovereignty, Coast Guard says
FORUM Staff The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) coercion in the South China Sea continued in early April 2025 when a China Coast Guard ship tried to ram a Philippine Coast…
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Balikatan 2025 highlights multinational commitment to Philippine security, Indo-Pacific stability
FORUM Staff Japan joined the multinational military exercise Balikatan in the Philippines for the first time in late April 2025, participating alongside Australian, Philippine and United States forces. Observers came…
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