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April 30th, 2025 | 5:07 PM ET

Amid Tensions with China, The Philippines Worries About the U.S.

A former top Philippine commander looks at China's encroachment - and the level of the U.S. commitment

An aircraft identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as Chinese Navy helicopter flies near the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) plane during an aerial reconnaissance flight at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on February 18, 2025. (Photo by JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)
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Posted: March 18th, 2025

By The Cipher Brief

EXPERT INTERVIEW – As the world trains its focus on the headlines about Ukraine — the U.S. pivot to Russia, the pause on American support to Ukraine, the U.S.-Ukraine ceasefire proposal, and Russia’s next move – tensions in hotspots elsewhere have continued to simmer. 

This is especially true in the South China Sea. The early weeks of 2025 have seen a rise in harsh rhetoric and confrontation in the area, specifically between China and the Philippines. In February, a Chinese navy helicopter flew within 10 feet of a Philippine patrol plane over the contested Scarborough Shoal, in an attempt to force the Philippine aircraft out of China-claimed airspace. The same month, China claimed it had successfully driven away three Philippine planes “illegally” flying over the disputed Spratly Islands. 

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