The Philippines has emerged as a frontline state in the rivalry between the United States and China for Southeast Asian power and influence. Locked in a bitter territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea, and with no prospects of a diplomatic resolution in sight, Manila has moved to bolster to its long-standing strategic alliance with Washington.
As China fortifies its military and administrative hold on disputed islands in the Spratly Islands and other South China Sea territories, the Philippines is effectively reverting to its pre-1992 state of strategic affairs, an era when the US helped to determine the island nation's security and provided strong steering to its foreign policy. Full story
