West Philippine Sea (WPS)
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
New maritime laws signal Philippines’ resolve against PRC’s discredited claims
Maria T. Reyes The Philippines has taken another decisive step in asserting its sovereignty and maritime rights by enacting two new laws. The Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act aim to strengthen the Philippines’ territorial claims, particularly in the South China Sea, while bolstering Manila’s economic and environmental stewardship of its waters. The legislation underscores the country’s…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
CCP coercion stands in stark contrast to Coast Guard cooperation by Allies and Partners
FORUM Staff An increasingly aggressive coast guard signals the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) willingness to risk escalation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, analysts say. Meanwhile, like-minded nations are cooperating to uphold stability in the region. Rather than focusing on traditional law enforcement missions targeting smugglers or providing search and rescue, the CCP has militarized coast guard ships…
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Partnerships
Multinational exercises in Philippines: ‘Partnerships that allow us to maintain peace and stability’
FORUM Staff Philippine and United States forces, joined by participants from six nations, conducted near-simultaneous military exercises in and around the Philippines in October 2024. Exercise Sama Sama, a Filipino phrase meaning togetherness, expanded in its eighth iteration to include training on shore and in waters off the northern Philippines, building on a legacy of Philippine-U.S. maritime collaboration. Part of…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
New drone boat boosts Philippine Coast Guard’s law enforcement, environmental protection efforts
Maria T. Reyes The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has enhanced its fleet with an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to help enforce maritime laws and protect natural resources. The boat bolsters the agency’s capabilities by supplementing its flotilla of crewed vessels. The PCG is the first Southeast Asian coast guard with a USV. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Japan, U.S. defense alliance gets ‘historic’ upgrade for greater interoperability in Free and Open Indo-Pacific
FORUM Staff The United States is making a consequential and historic upgrade to its U.S. Forces Japan, which will become a Joint Force Headquarters allowing for greater interoperability between the U.S. military and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. “We welcome an historic decision to modernize our Alliance command and control to better meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” U.S. Defense…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Beijing spreads manipulated message; Philippines, Allies and Partners strengthen security
FORUM Staff With the People’s Republic of China (PRC) facing international opposition to its coercion campaign in the South China Sea, its operatives are trying to change the narrative by amplifying a debunked deepfake video. The latest high-tech hoax targeting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — a discredited clip that purports to show Marcos using an illicit drug — was…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Philippines boosting defense spending amid PRC clashes in South China Sea
Reuters The Philippines is allocating $4.38 billion for defense spending in 2025, officials announced, up 6.4% from the 2024 budget as the country modernizes and boosts its external defenses. The proposed increase in defense spending comes amid growing tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea, most of which the People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims as its territory despite…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Philippines’ defense college updates leadership program, looks to future
Maria T. Reyes The National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) is revising its graduate-level program for senior military and civilian leaders to ensure the master’s degree in national security administration (MNSA) curriculum reflects modern warfare and technology. Administered by the Philippines Department of National Defense, the course aims to cultivate a “strategic and critical mindset” in preparing future leaders.…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Philippines seeks to temper Beijing’s South China Sea aggression
FORUM Staff Allies and Partners across the Indo-Pacific condemned the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) dangerous and escalating aggression in the South China Sea in June, and the Philippines sought to diffuse tensions with a dash of diplomacy. “We still believe [in] the primacy of dialogue, and diplomacy should prevail even in the face of these serious incidents,” Philippines Foreign…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Vietnam’s artificial-island building draws measured response from Philippines, other neighbors
FORUM Staff Vietnam is fast-tracking its artificial island projects in the disputed South China Sea, a move that aims to counter the People’s Republic of China (PRC), analysts say. By dredging the seabed and piling the material atop reefs in the Spratly Islands, Hanoi added more than 280 hectares of land between November 2023 and June 2024, reported the Asia…
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