What Happened:
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss rising tensions in the South China Sea. The meeting follows continued disputes over Chinese incursions in the Philippines’ waters.
President Marcos expressed concern over defending their maritime territory from continued and more aggressive actions. “So, I’m not surprised, but we will have to continue to do what we can to defend our maritime territory in the face of perhaps a more active attempt by the Chinese to annex some of our territory,” Marcos said.
The Details:
The points of discussion are not widely known, but it is assumed that they will revolve around increased cooperation in security and naval exercises to deter an aggressive China from annexing any of the Philippines maritime territory. There is also likely to be discussion on preparing a panel between Japan, the Philippines, and the U.S. in Washington, D.C.
Before this meeting, China had called for heightened coordination between the armed forces to prepare for military conflicts at sea. China has become increasingly aggressive, leading to more Taiwanese airspace incursions and maritime territory violations in both Taiwan and the Philippines. It has led the entire South Pacific to be on constant alert.
The Philippine Foreign Affairs Ministry released a statement saying that along with security discussions, it will also include economic investment discussions. This comes from the U.S. announcing an increased investment in the Philippines, including semiconductor production. The increased investment not only helps the Philippines expand their economy, but it also helps field a larger military.
In a previous meeting, a U.S. investment and trade delegation met with Philippine counterparts in Manila, as well as the head of the Philippine military, General Romeo Brawner Jr. and the Indo-Pacom Chief Admiral John Aquilino. Brawner and Aquilino discussed Chinese aggression in the region and what security measures can be put into place to prevent continued violations of the Philippines and Taiwan’s maritime territory. The meeting between the Philippine government and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, along with several executives from at least 22 U.S. companies, resulted in the companies agreeing to invest approximately $1 billion USD in the country.
What’s Next:
Chinese aggression will likely not go away any time soon. The U.S. has been increasingly active in the region, investing in allied economies and security to ensure maximum preparedness in the event of a Chinese invasion. Recently, a deal with Japan was announced that would see U.S. destroyers and cruisers repaired and upgraded in Japanese naval yards, keeping the fleet at maximum strength and readiness.
Deals like these are likely to continue as both North Korea and China grow more aggressive. NATO has even begun to allow delegates from countries in the Pacific as the concern of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan looms overhead.
Earlier on in the escalation, China and the U.S. were competing for security contracts and arms sales with some of the nations within the Indo-Pacific, but as Chinese aggression got worse, it turned many nations back to the U.S., which is now bolstering allied defense spending through economic investments and weapons deals.
