Be careful on what you wish for.
I'm aware of #Philippines grievances on the lack of a #FTA with the #US in spite of the alliance.
But FTAs are different animals, and especially if signed with superpowers, they tend to establish dependencies that may also be counterproductive.

Great policy suggestion. Claiming that we shouldn't expect #ASEAN to act differently is equal to claim that it s centrality may be gone forever vis-à-vis #China and the #US , but also in the face of emerging geostrategic #minilaterals like #AUKUS and perhaps more in the future

Seeing the politics behind #India #BrahMos supply to the #Philippines , it proves how arms transfers are now a way to project power by establishing path dependencies between supplier and recipient state.
States like #India and #Korea embrace this paradigm newsweek.com/philippines-br…

Sorry but inaccurate.

Apart from recent 80mln from the FMF, most of #US military support to #Taiwan has the form of arms sales. There’s even a debate if these weapons will be useful for Taiwan to resist a #Chinese attack.

Comparing this case to the #Philippines is improper.

The grotesque story of the #Philippines - #China gentlemen agreement under #Duterte reinforces my idea that the practice of informality, if accepted by less powerful states, is tantamount to capitulation.

It’s not strategy, nor a tactic, nor wisdom.

It’s simply failure.

Maybe it wasn’t secret for #China , but secret for the #Philippines yes.
Plus, even if the issue isn’t strictly “sovereignty”, they may have negotiated over sovereign rights and entitlements in Philippines EEZ in the #WestPhilippineSea .

Ouch.

#Singapore representative stresses the importance of #ASEAN , while acknowledging that each member state has different alignments.

But isn’t this a failure of its centrality instead?

mb.com.ph/2024/4/16/no-a…

#USA #Giappone e #Filippine accelerano la cooperazione trilaterale in diversi domini, anche e crucialmente quello economico.
Ne parlo per ⁦⁦Geopolitica.info⁩ ! geopolitica.info/japhus-sicurez…

#Philippines got a sort of economic reward for their realignment.
#US is trying to enter the “infrastructural development” game assisted by #Japan .
The #BRI was just a forerunner. We may be entering the age of “infrastructural global politics” benarnews.org/english/news/p…

International politics prevailing over neoliberal development paradigms.

What’s happening here is that for probably the first time in decades, the #US (helped by #Japan which is already a leader in devt assistance) is trying to win the #Philippines geostrategic support.

Yikes.

#Japan #Philippines #US ( #JAPHUS ) trilateral is CLEARLY a success for the Philippines.

- It locks in US and Japan in providing deterrence.

- Unexpectedly, it made the US pledge unprecedented economic support by promoting an economic corridor.

apnews.com/article/japan-…

It’d better be about strengthening economic ties.

Winning countries like the #Philippines ’ alignment won’t last in the long run if development is not delivered.

And #Japan has done a way better job than the #US so far.

Felice di essere intervenuto a Nessun Luogo24!

I agree. This is why #Philippines subservience under Duterte was not calibrated strategy, but strategic failure.
Not all states are “hedging between #China and the #US ”.
Not all time.
Some administrations simply fail. lowyinstitute.org/the-interprete…

Mega proud of my Department!
UP Department of Political Science Mahusay!!

These initiatives are part of the new normality in the #Southcinasea .

#Philippines does this to compensate the lack of other deterrence options, the rest of #ASEAN free rides. …w-bworldonline-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bworld…

#ISA2024 ing.

You don’t need a trilateral pact to organize patrols.

So why does the #Philippines need #JAPHUS ? Simple.

Real negotiations with #China (and not past masquerades) aren’t possible without increased capabilities.

Bringing #Japan in does exactly that.