Manila rejects Beijing’s “Asia-Pacific NATO” accusations China launches “combat readiness patrols” near Scarborough Shoal Faced with Beijing’s aggressive behavior and gray-zone tactics in the South China Sea — including sending frigates, J-16 jet fighters and H-6 bombers to patrol near Scarborough Shoal in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone — Manila has sought to expand its visiting forces and reciprocal access agreements beyond the US, Japan, and Australia to include other like-minded countries. In response, Beijing has accused the Philippines and its partners of importing “European-style military alliances” into Asia. What benefits do these military deals provide? Is Manila becoming the “hub” of a new hub-and-spokes model? And how might these agreements and recent joint exercises deter or affect a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait? In this episode, our guests discuss the Philippines’ military agreements, the possibility of an “Asian NATO,” and what it all means for Taiwan and Indo-Pacific peace and stability.
