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South China Morning Post
21-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US or China? 2 Philippine provinces show the local face of a global power struggle
A new study has shed light on how the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China is playing out at the local level in the Philippines , with provincial support for national security strategies often shaped by economic ties and exposure to Chinese activities in the South China Sea. Advertisement The report by the University of the Philippines, titled 'Localization of the United States–China Rivalry: Cases from the Philippines', examined the influence of both superpowers in Cagayan and Palawan, two provinces that host sites accessible to American forces under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). 'Big-power influence in the Philippines trickles down to the local government level because national foreign policy preferences are not diffused equally across the country,' the study said. It added that political, economic, diplomatic and military benefits from either side served as 'powerful incentives for local leaders'. Cagayan lies in the far north, facing Taiwan across the Luzon Strait, while Palawan is the westernmost province, near the West Philippine Sea – Manila's term for its exclusive economic zone within the contested South China Sea Though both provinces host EDCA sites, researchers observed stark differences in how they viewed China 's role. In Cagayan, a long history of welcoming Chinese investment – dating back to the 1990s – has shaped political attitudes, while Palawan's stance is strongly influenced by on-the-ground encounters with Chinese vessels in disputed waters. A US Army CH-47 helicopter flies over Cagayan during a joint military exercise in May last year. The province hosts US military sites under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement. Photo: AP A key difference between the two lies in how closely their leaders align with national policy, according to Aletheia Valenciano, an assistant professor of political science at the University of the Philippines and a co-author of the study.
South China Morning Post
21-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US or China? Two Philippine provinces show the local face of a global power struggle
A new study has shed light on how the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China is playing out at the local level in the Philippines , with provincial support for national security strategies often shaped by economic ties and exposure to Chinese activities in the South China Sea. Advertisement The report by the University of the Philippines, titled 'Localization of the United States–China Rivalry: Cases from the Philippines,' examined the influence of both superpowers in Cagayan and Palawan, two provinces that host sites accessible to American forces under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). 'Big-power influence in the Philippines trickles down to the local government level because national foreign policy preferences are not diffused equally across the country,' the study said. It added that political, economic, diplomatic and military benefits from either side served as 'powerful incentives for local leaders'. Cagayan lies in the far north, facing Taiwan across the Luzon Strait, while Palawan is the westernmost province, near the West Philippine Sea – Manila's term for its exclusive economic zone within the contested South China Sea Though both provinces host EDCA sites, researchers observed stark differences in how they viewed China 's role. In Cagayan, a long history of welcoming Chinese investment – dating back to the 1990s – has shaped political attitudes, while Palawan's stance is strongly influenced by on-the-ground encounters with Chinese vessels in disputed waters. A US Army CH-47 helicopter flies over Cagayan during a joint military exercise in May last year. The province hosts US military sites under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement. Photo: AP A key difference between the two lies in how closely their leaders align with national policy, according to Aletheia Valenciano, an assistant professor of political science at the University of the Philippines and a co-author of the study.
South China Morning Post
29-01-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
From ‘ironclad' to uncertain: Trump's aid freeze shakes US-Philippines ties
Published: 3:00pm, 29 Jan 2025 The Philippines is bracing for the possible loss of half a billion dollars in promised US military aid under President Donald Trump , as analysts warn Manila could become a 'bargaining chip' in Washington's dealings with Beijing. The uncertainty follows a sudden 90-day freeze on all US foreign aid funded by or through the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), announced on Friday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The announcement comes less than six months after former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in late July that Washington would allocate 'US$500 million in foreign military financing to the Philippines to boost security collaboration with our oldest treaty ally in this region'. Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega attempted to downplay the damage during a palace press briefing on Saturday, insisting there was still room to negotiate. 'We're still talking to the Americans about that,' he said, adding that the freeze was still temporary. He also argued a stoppage in help from Washington would not 'severely affect us' because the Philippines still has the financial support of other allies. De Vega also stressed that, despite the suspension, operations at the nine existing EDCA sites – military facilities jointly used by US forces in the country authorised by the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) – will in 'no way' be affected.
