Who will Marcos turn to in the battle of the superpowers?

[ASEAN NOW News]

The Philippines needs to foster long-term cooperation with like-minded nations to protect its strategic interests and become a "constructive" player in the region amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, a political analyst from the Stratbase ADR Institute said this week.

 

Sounds like the super powers are ganging up to set up alliances and the Philippines is the piggy in the middle of this potentially delicate situation.

 

Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian in August talks

 

On the one hand, we have the Chinese re-opening talks with the Marcos government on investing in the Philippines railway system.

 

While the US sent over US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his official visit to Manila in August.

 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Manila

 

Blinken was the first major overseas top diplomat to actually sit down and hold serious talks with the newly elected President.

 

It showed the world how much the mighty US is taking the South China Sea issue as a serious threat to global peace.

 

The political analyst from the Stratbase ADR Institute added this week, “Given the current geopolitical landscape and the emergence of various security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, the Philippines should maximize its engagements and foster long-term cooperation with like-minded states such as the United States (US), Japan, Australia, and the European Union in order to protect strategic interests and manage threats collectively,"

 

"These engagements would also enable the country to become a more constructive and relevant player in the region, particularly in promoting a rule-based international order that recognizes shared democratic values," he added.

 

The statement came as Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo affirmed on Tuesday that Manila is "fully prepared" to enhance existing relationships as well as cultivate and bridge new ties-- a position Manhit said demonstrates the direction the country is taking in terms of its position in the region.

 

The Philippines is a middle power

 

The Philippines is deemed a "middle power" in Asia, ranking 16th in overall comprehensive power out of 26 countries and territories included in the Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index 2021.

 

The report said Manila performs best in the defense networks measure, where it places 9th while its lowest ranking occurs in the resilience measure, coming in at 20th place.

 

Lowy Institute, meanwhile, reported that the Philippines' power gap or how well it converts its resources into influence in Asia has "improved" in 2021.

 

The annual Asia Power Index measures power by looking into a country's economic relationships, defense networks, diplomatic influence, cultural influence, economic capability, military capability, resilience, and future resources, with a scope reaching as far west as Pakistan, as far north as Russia, and as far into the Pacific as Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

 

The US and China were the only two countries tagged as "superpowers" in the latest index for garnering scores greater than 70.

 

These were followed by middle powers or countries and territories that scored points greater than 10 –Japan (38.7), India (37.7), Russia (33), Australia (30.8), South Korea (30, Singapore (26.2), Indonesia (19.4), Thailand (19.2), Malaysia (18.3), Vietnam (18.3), New Zealand (17.8), Taiwan (16.2), Pakistan (14.7), the Philippines (13.1), and North Korea (11.5).

 

Nine others, with scores less than 10 points, were ranked as "minor powers". 

 

1951 Mutual Defense Treaty

 

Meanwhile United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this month assured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the US would honor its decades-old commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

 

Signed on Aug. 30, 1951, the MDT is an accord that stipulates that the Philippines and the US would support each other if either of them was to be attacked by an external party.

 

Blinken described the US commitment to the MDT as "ironclad," adding that "an armed attack on Philippine Armed Forces public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke the US Mutual Defense commitments under that treaty."

 

Strong words for sure.

 

The new Philippine government now has a tricky road ahead, especially after the heavy-handed bullying tactics shown this month with missiles being fired over Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

[bangon04]

Looking for handouts as usual..........