Publication

This essay discusses the reaction of the Philippines to an increasingly belligerent China in the South China Sea. China is now able threaten the ability of the Philippines to access resources located in its exclusive economic zone and to impede access to the sea lanes in the South China Sea, crucial for regional and global trade. In response, the president of the Philippines, Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III, has made the most credible policy commitment in decades to improve the country's military capabilities. The government has launched programs to build up the Air Force and Navy. It remains unclear, however, how much assistance Manila will seek from the US.