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  • 13 Nov 2025
    • Philippines
    • Vietnam
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Climate change
    • Sustainability

    Preparing for when disaster and conflict converge

    Melissa Jardine , Jarrett Blaustein , Hai Thanh Luong
    What Australia must learn for its defence posture following record flooding and typhoons in Vietnam and the Philippines.
  • 13 Nov 2025
    • Asia
    • Asean
    • China
    • Philippines
    • Timor-Leste

    Where the Philippines might lead ASEAN

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Will Manila shake off its “deputy sheriff” badge to become the anchor of a new coalition in Southeast Asia?
  • 31 Oct 2025
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea

    High waters, deep divisions in views of the South China Sea

    Sophie Wushuang Yi
    One side’s freedom of navigation is the other’s territorial violation – and no code of conduct seems set to reconcile this.
  • 1 Oct 2025
    • China
    • Philippines
    • Taiwan
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security
    • United States

    Manila’s lonely island at the centre of Taiwan contingency planning

    Frances Mangosing
    At the Philippines’ northernmost point, troops guard waters that could determine Taiwan’s fate.
  • 30 Sep 2025
    • Philippines
    • Defence & Security

    Philippines: Marcos in the middle

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    While regularly seen as “pro-American”, the Marcos Jr administration has also embraced a more multipolar vision of the world that goes beyond the dictates of any superpower.
  • 25 Sep 2025
    • Asean
    • Brunei
    • Cambodia
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • Malaysia
    • Myanmar
    • Philippines
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • Timor-Leste
    • Vietnam

    Is the US really losing to China in Southeast Asia?

    Susannah Patton
    A major new research project published by the Lowy Institute says yes – but there’s more to the story.
  • 17 Sep 2025
    • Philippines
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security
    • South China Sea

    I spent five days observing a joint military exercise between Australia and the Philippines. Here’s what I learned.

    Danielle Ireland-Piper
    Joint training brings depth to an important bilateral relationship and allows troops to rehearse for what may lie ahead.
  • 16 Sep 2025
    • Indonesia
    • Nepal
    • Philippines

    Chronicles of corruption

    Andrea Chloe Wong
    The public outcry against systemic corruption in Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines exposes government greed and elite excess amid widespread poverty.
  • 10 Sep 2025
    • Brunei
    • China
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Philippines
    • Vietnam
    • Maritime Security
    • South China Sea
    • Technology

    The South China Sea’s next legal frontier: Ships without sailors

    Pornomo Rovan Astri Yoga
    Unmanned warships blur legal boundaries as technology outpaces international law in contested maritime zones.
  • 14 Aug 2025
    • China
    • Philippines
    • Maritime Security
    • United States

    A South China Sea collision brings US-Philippines alliance to the fore

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Beijing again turns aggressive in contested waters but in doing so betrays feeling spooked.
  • 13 Aug 2025
    • China
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Thailand
    • Australia
    • United Kingdom
    • Global Issues
    • Türkiye

    Religious revival: Why young people around the world are finding faith again

    Intifar Chowdhury
    From digital spirituality to gendered divides, faith seems to offer meaning and identity where secular culture has fallen short.
  • 31 Jul 2025
    • China
    • Philippines
    • Maritime Security
    • Review

    Food Delivery: The Filipino documentary film that exposes China

    Andrea Chloe Wong
    China’s efforts to block a Philippine documentary reveal its habit of media censorship and increasing diplomatic overreach.
  • 31 Jul 2025
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Philippines
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • Defence & Security

    Air force modernisation in Southeast Asia: Deterrence or danger?

    Rahman Yaacob
    Fighter aircraft purchases reflect a broader push for military autonomy at a time of rising great power rivalry and supply chain concerns.
  • 23 Jul 2025
    • Asia
    • Philippines
    • Singapore
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security

    Japan wants to offload six destroyers, but should the Philippines take them?

    Vincent Kyle Parada
    With Manila’s military modernisation occurring at breakneck speed, the infrastructure struggle will be real.
  • 10 Jul 2025
    • Philippines
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    Trump’s bearhug for the Philippines

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    While other Asian allies face American pressure, the Philippines enjoys special treatment – but at the cost of strategic flexibility.
  • 20 Jun 2025
    • Asean
    • Cambodia
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • Malaysia
    • Myanmar
    • Philippines
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam

    Myanmar and ASEAN’s parallel diplomacy trap

    Vu Lam
    In Southeast Asia, national imperatives are increasingly outweighing regional cohesion.
  • 4 Jun 2025
    • Philippines

    Keeping up with the Dutertes, a model Philippine political dynasty

    Andrea Chloe Wong
    The preservation of power within families makes for an unhealthy democracy.
  • 13 May 2025
    • Philippines

    With New Zealand the latest to join, the Philippines is building a network of defence partners amid South China Sea tensions

    Andrea Chloe Wong
    Manila is expanding military cooperation beyond traditional allies as ASEAN solidarity wavers and with US commitments uncertain.
  • 2 May 2025
    • Asean
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • South China Sea
    • United States

    How the Squad risks upending ASEAN norms

    Vincent Kyle Parada
    Is minilateralism really the way forward for the Indo-Pacific?
  • 17 Apr 2025
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • United States

    A Ukraine-model deal in the South China Sea?

    Vincent Kyle Parada
    Like Kyiv, Manila needs to provide the US with “skin in the game” beyond military considerations. The answer might just be a disputed feature near the Spratly Islands.
  • 27 Mar 2025
    • Aid & Development
    • China
    • Philippines

    The Philippines walks a tightrope with Chinese aid

    Alexandre Dayant , Grace Stanhope
    Pragmatism, not ideology, is driving development finance decisions.
  • 26 Mar 2025
    • Philippines
    • International law

    From ICC to Indo-Pacific: The Philippines’ strategic bargaining against superpower rivalries

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    A case study in how to reduce dependence on America as well as actively promote a rules-based order.
  • 14 Mar 2025
    • Philippines
    • Human rights
    • International law

    Duterte’s ICC arrest: A day of reckoning

    Andrea Chloe Wong
    Duterte’s legal battle puts the spotlight on the International Criminal Court and the future of Philippine politics.
  • 11 Mar 2025
    • China
    • Philippines
    • Intelligence and security

    Uncovering China’s spying game in the Philippines

    Don McLain Gill
    A string of arrests has been a wakeup call for Manila that the threat extends inside the water line.
  • 6 Mar 2025
    • Aid & Development
    • Cambodia
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • Myanmar
    • Philippines
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • Timor-Leste
    • Vietnam
    • Australia

    Missed signals: What Southeast Asia wants vs what Australia delivers

    Mira Sulistiyanto
    With US aid disappearing, a new report shows Australia has a chance to align development cooperation with the region’s challenges and Australia’s strengths.
  • 21 Feb 2025
    • Philippines

    A family feud in the Philippines

    Andrea Chloe Wong
    The 2025 midterm election is primed to be a proxy war between the Marcos and Duterte clans, and a prelude to the 2028 presidential race.
  • 5 Feb 2025
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • United States

    Trump’s grand bargain? The Philippines caught between US and China

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Manila is increasingly aware that a defence dilemma could be exposed by the president’s transactional foreign policy.
  • 25 Nov 2024
    • Philippines
    • Defence & Security

    Weak link or “frontline ally”? Where the Philippines will fit into Trump’s rivalry with China

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    US-supplied Typhon missiles are on Manila’s wish list but could come with a catch.
  • 19 Nov 2024
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea

    Why the Philippines made a dramatic turnaround on the question of archipelagos in the law of the sea

    Alex P Dela Cruz
    And strangely enough, it means China and the Philippines have traded positions.
  • 17 Sep 2024
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Defence & Security

    A step-change to Beijing's "lawfare" in the South China Sea

    Peter Leavy
    The “salami slice” approach to island building in the South China Sea has worked well for China. The world risks seeing that same approach repeated in international law.
  • 9 Sep 2024
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Defence & Security

    South China Sea: The “transparency initiative” success is plain to see

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    But pressure on the Philippines means that its key partners must step up more.
  • 6 Aug 2024
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Defence & Security

    A respite for the Sierra Madre, but Philippines-China tensions remain

    Rommel Ong
    A provisional understanding is just that. Much now depends on China’s behaviour and its record is not encouraging.
  • 5 Aug 2024
    • Philippines
    • Defence & Security

    Marcos vs Duterte: Domestic politics meets grand strategy

    Henry Storey
    Doubts linger regarding the longevity of Manila’s forward-leaning stance on regional security.
  • 18 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Defence & Security

    Philippines-Japan security pact puts China on notice

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Though both nations recognise the indispensability of Washington, they are also hedging against future uncertainties.
  • 20 Jun 2024
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Maritime Security
    • International law

    Overcoming the deliberate legal ambiguity adopted by China’s coast guard

    Peter Leavy
    A new order is telling of Beijing’s selective and ongoing effort to undermine the law of the sea.
  • 6 Jun 2024
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea

    Unpacking China’s propaganda narratives against the Philippines

    Susannah Patton
    The danger in deception.
  • 4 Jun 2024
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Public Opinion

    Not in the same boat? Perceptions of the Australia-Philippines security partnership

    Rahman Yaacob
    The closer and growing defence ties between the countries doesn’t appear to have permeated the public mind yet.
  • 24 May 2024
    • India
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Quad
    • United States

    The “Squad” is a welcome spin-off, but the Quad is the main game

    Rahul Mishra
    India might not perfectly align with its partners in the minilateral group but its Indo-Pacific heft is much greater than that of the Philippines.
  • 9 May 2024
    • India
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Quad
    • United States

    “Squad” goals: Consolidating the new quadrilateral partnership

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    With China flexing its muscle in the South China Sea, a revised grouping that includes the Philippines strikes a new balance.
  • 8 May 2024
    • China
    • Chinese Trade
    • Philippines
    • Trade

    The Philippines and the Digital Silk Road

    Julio S. Amador III , Deryk Matthew N. Baladjay
    China is shaping the emerging digital landscape in Southeast Asia, reflecting a wider competition.
  • 29 Apr 2024
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Defence & Security

    Balikatan 2024: Philippines and friends send a clear signal to China

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Drills will for the first time take place outside of the Philippines’ 12 nautical miles “territorial waters”, thus directly challenging China’s expansive claims across the South China Sea.
  • 5 Apr 2024
    • China
    • China's Military
    • Philippines
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australia's Defence Challenges
    • Maritime Security
    • United States
    • US Navy

    What should Australia be doing about the South China Sea?

    Susannah Patton
    While Australia’s interests are clear, its contribution is ambiguous.
  • 2 Apr 2024
    • China
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Maritime Security
    • United States

    A wave of US trilaterals sends a clear message to China

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Revamped security groupings led by Washington, including with Manila and Tokyo, are the new normal.
  • 25 Mar 2024
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea

    The Philippines seeks out old friends and new

    Rahul Mishra , Peter Brian M. Wang
    Beijing’s assertiveness means hedging is a luxury Manila can no longer afford.
  • 13 Mar 2024
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Taiwan

    Understanding China’s efforts to bridge the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait disputes

    Sophie Wushuang Yi
    Regional problems are challenging enough without lumping them together.
  • 6 Feb 2024
    • Asean
    • Philippines
    • Vietnam
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    Southeast Asian maritime security: Australia can help

    Hanh Nguyen
    Australia should support Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei in developing their maritime governance capacity to enhance their resilience against threats.
  • 22 Jan 2024
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Defence & Security

    South China Sea: A formula for the Philippines

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Manila should adopt a three-pronged response to Beijing's assertiveness.
  • 21 Dec 2023
    • Philippines
    • Human rights
    • Review

    Manila’s killing fields: Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on the poor

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    It’s best to not only take populists seriously, but also literally, especially when they threaten mass murder.
  • 14 Nov 2023
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Maritime Security

    Japan’s new golden age in Southeast Asia

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Tokyo’s recent geopolitical assertiveness cements its position as a regional security and economic powerhouse.
  • 25 Oct 2023
    • China
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Defence & Security

    As the world looks elsewhere, China stirs trouble in the South China Sea

    Peter Layton
    The Chinese Communist Party-controlled Global Times is already forecasting “more serious collisions”.
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