Why the US and China Both Need the Philippines | South China Sea Explained

#philippines #usa #china
The Philippines is no longer just a small island nation caught between giants. It is the key to Asia’s future. Sitting on $5 trillion in annual trade routes and guarding chokepoints like the Luzon Strait, Manila now finds itself at the center of a three-way contest between the United States, China, and Japan.

China’s gamble: Belt and Road loans, artificial islands, and military pressure in the South China Sea.

America’s play: Forward bases, missiles, and a defense partnership that makes the Philippines an “unsinkable aircraft carrier.”

Japan’s strategy: Railways, subways, bridges, ports, and development aid that modernizes the Philippines without debt traps.

From Scarborough Shoal to Second Thomas Shoal, from fishermen to Marines stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, the Philippines is fighting for sovereignty while great powers battle for influence.

#Philippines #SouthChinaSea #Geopolitics #China #UnitedStates #Japan #IndoPacific #MaritimeSecurity #BRI #Asia

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