Monthly Archives: August 2021

Why Taiwan Matters to the United States

Washington has strategic, economic, and normative reasons for safeguarding the island from Chinese coercion. Amidst talk of U.S.-China competition, Taiwan too often devolves into a policy football, a subset object at the prey of larger geopolitical forces. Calls to make an explicit security guarantee for Taiwan, maintain the status quo, or even abandon the island […]

China fires flares at PH military planes patrolling West PH Sea

MANILA, Philippines—China recently fired flares at Philippine military planes conducting security patrols in the West Philippine Sea. These were recorded at least five times near Chinese outposts in the West Philippine Sea, according to Lt. Col. Bill Pasia, of the Palawan-based Western Command, at an online forum on Friday (Aug. 20). Pasia also said that […]

Spratlys vs KIG

By: Antonio T. Carpio – @inquirerdotnetPhilippine Daily Inquirer / 04:06 AM August 05, 2021 The Philippines’ territorial claim to the Spratlys is limited only to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), as formalized in Presidential Decree No. 1596 and clarified in Republic Act No. 9522. China’s and Vietnam’s territorial claims cover the entire Spratlys. Malaysia’s territorial […]