Tag Archives: Scarborough Shoal

Philippine SECDEF: Mutual Defense Treaty Review Must Assess U.S. Commitment to Philippines

Philippine SECDEF: Mutual Defense Treaty Review Must Assess U.S. Commitment to Philippines

Marine Lance Cpl. David Lancheros shares his knowledge about the engagement process of a FIM-92 stinger missile with Philippine Airman 2nd class Sherwin Faoeranga during a subject matter expert exchange as part of exercise KAMANDAG 3 at Colonel Ernesto P. Ravina Air Base, Philippines on Oct. 9, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo

Topping the list in any review of the 70-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty between Manila and Washington is the need for a precise definition of what the United States’ commitment is to the republic in a crisis, the Philippines’ secretary of defense said today. Read More

PACOM CO Harris: No Anticipated Changes to U.S.-Philippines Military Relationship

PACOM CO Harris: No Anticipated Changes to U.S.-Philippines Military Relationship

U.S. Pacific Command commander Adm. Harry Harris on Feb. 25, 2016 addressing reporters in the Pentagon. DoD News Image

U.S. Pacific Command commander Adm. Harry Harris on Feb. 25, 2016 addressing reporters in the Pentagon. DoD News Image

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The head of U.S. forces in the Pacific has not received any official word from Manila to change its defense relationship with the Philippines – despite months of statements to the contrary from firebrand President Rodrigo Duterte. Read More

Analysis: Chinese South China Sea Operations Ambiguous After Ruling

Analysis: Chinese South China Sea Operations Ambiguous After Ruling

China’s compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) tribunal’s ruling regarding rights, activities and entitlements in the South China Sea is much less certain than one might expect, we concluded in a previous post at Lawfare. By our analysis, there are no reports that China has taken actions in clear violation of nine of fifteen rulings handed down by the tribunal. Therefore, while China is not in “compliance” with the arbitral award, neither is it in complete “non-compliance.” Read More

Analysis: What’s Next for Manila Following South China Sea Ruling?

Analysis: What’s Next for Manila Following South China Sea Ruling?

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.

The Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.

The long-awaited tribunal ruling on China’s territory grab of the Western Philippine Sea finally emerged on July 12. As expected it was a mostly clean sweep for the Philippines government—judging that the claims under the PRC’s Nine-Dash Line vision were invalid, and its current activities of island reclaiming and resource grabbing were both illegal and harmful to the environment. Read More

Document: South China Sea Tribunal Decision

Document: South China Sea Tribunal Decision

The following is the a July 12, 2016 ruling from the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Arbitration Tribunal through the Permanent Court of Arbitration (at the Hague) on China and the Philippines overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Read More