West Philippine Sea (WPS)
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Philippines, partners counter China’s encroachments
Maria T. Reyes The Philippines’ maritime security strategy has developed into a sophisticated deterrence campaign, blending regular patrols with a focus on transparency to highlight external threats, primarily China’s territorial encroachment. Backed by satellite-tracking technology and a growing web of global partnerships, the archipelagic nation ensures that coercive activities in contested waters no longer go unchallenged or unseen. Against this…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Chinese warship locks firing radar on Philippine patrol vessel in South China Sea
Agence France-Presse A China People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ship directed its fire control radar toward a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea in March 2026, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said, calling the behavior “alarming and provocative.” The radar provides precise targeting coordinates to a ship’s weapons systems. Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
South China Sea code must comply with international law, Philippine official says
Reuters A long-planned code of conduct outlining appropriate actions in the South China Sea must align with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a top Philippine official said. The Philippines, which is chairing the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026, wants the code completed during its stewardship. “The UNCLOS issue is something…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
China Coast Guard injures fishermen, damages boats near disputed South China Sea shoal, Philippines says
Reuters Three Philippine fishermen were wounded and two fishing vessels significantly damaged when China Coast Guard ships fired high-pressure water cannons and blocked almost two dozen fishing boats near contested Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea in December 2025, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. A China Coast Guard vessel also cut the anchor lines of several Philippine boats,…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Philippines to focus on South China Sea code of conduct despite China’s obstinance
FORUM Staff As the Philippines prepares to lead the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026, Manila’s leaders have vowed to press for a legally binding code of conduct (COC) between the 11 member nations and China. The agreement would codify rules for behavior in the economically important sea and reduce the risk of maritime clashes. Beijing’s posture, however,…
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Partnerships
Philippines debuts anti-ship missile batteries as Marine Corps marks 75 years
FORUM Staff The Philippine Marine Corps unveiled its first supersonic anti-ship missile battery in early November 2025, a milestone that dovetails with deepening defense collaboration. The BrahMos missile battery, highlighted in a video celebrating the Marine Corps’ 75th anniversary, is one of three the Philippines acquired from India. With a range of 290 kilometers, it is based in Western Luzon…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Philippines counters China’s aggression with 4 key initiatives
Maj. Gen. Elmer B. Suderio/Armed Forces of the Philippines To counter China’s increasing aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has launched four initiatives to protect the nation’s sovereign rights, uphold freedom of navigation, maintain a rules-based international order, and secure the cognitive and cyber domains. The Philippines maintains an active presence in the…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Beijing suspected of using floating barrier to block access at disputed South China Sea shoal
FORUM Staff China is accused of stretching another floating barrier across the mouth of Scarborough Shoal’s expansive lagoon, eliciting protests from Philippine officials and fishermen who ply the bountiful waters. The shoal is within the Philippines’ internationally recognized exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but Beijing claims it and most of the resource-rich South China Sea despite an international tribunal’s 2016 ruling…
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Partnerships
Routine weapons system training fortifies Philippines-U.S. alliance
FORUM Staff The Philippines and the United States sustain a deepening alliance focused on defending an archipelago whose prosperity and security relies on maintaining sovereignty, protecting its widely dispersed islands and projecting deterrence. Over the past decade — and particularly since the Philippines launched its Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) in 2024 — routine mid- and long-range weapons training has…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Philippines, U.S. lead multinational Sama Sama 2025
FORUM Staff Exercise Sama Sama 2025 emphasized the Philippines’ enduring partnership with Allies and Partners as naval forces conducted operations in the archipelago’s western territory. Ten nations were involved in the latest iteration of the Philippines and United States-led exercise, named for the Filipino word meaning together. Defense personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Japan and the United Kingdom participated as…
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