Pro-China X (formerly Twitter) accounts are running a coordinated campaign against President Marcos Jr. and the Philippines’ West PH Sea efforts while amplifying content favoring VP Sara Duterte.
At this point, the US cannot afford to pause its military aid program to the Philippines, just like in Egypt and Israel where the US wanted to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East.
Like the Philippines, its differences with China over the South China Sea are the total of the two nations’ relationship.
China is attempting to create a buffer zone in the South China Sea, militarizing artificial islands to keep away the US and its allies from patrolling the strategic waterway where about $3 trillion worth of annual trade passes.
Donald Trump’s takeover of the White House in late January 2025 could change the world’s geopolitical landscape with the possible end of the conflict in Eastern Europe.