China’s Aggressiveness Against Philippines
Don McLain Gill, Manila-based Geopolitical Analyst, Author and Lecturer at the Department of International Studies, De La Salle University discusses China’s aggressiveness against the Philippines. A continuous, dangerous escalation in the West Philippines Sea. Watch ‘The Gist’ with Amitabh P. Revi for a comprehensive conversation. “China has enjoyed exploiting the inconsistencies in a number of countries’ foreign policies, toward securing the greater South China Sea in general and the West Philippine Sea in particular,” he says. Adding “aside from the level of (deterrence) consistency that needs to be applied, the Philippines would need to employ a more physical level of deterrence against Chinese belligerence and expansionism”.
Philippines And Partners
“So this is where I believe, particularly the United States and Japan, would be of great significance to the Philippines”, the analyst says. He notes, “there is no one single solution that could address the protracted level of Chinese expansionism. It had such an important free, critical run for the past decades. And it is important now to make sure that the Philippines, along with its allies and partners, are able to rally up the right amount of cost and impose it on China”.
India-Philippines BrahMos Deal
“Missiles like the BrahMos are not only very efficient and very formidable,” Don McLain Gill points out. “But at the same time practical when it comes to the cost. These types of systems are very important and very convergent with what the Philippine military modernisation is all about. In terms of the Philippines and India, there will be a continuous momentum towards more enhanced defence cooperation. And I believe as we speak, negotiations are being done, for an overarching framework for defence cooperation between both sides. I believe the Philippines is now opening up bids for multi-role jets, fighter jets. So I believe that India has also placed in its bid”.
Don McLain Gill also discusses:
- The continuous Chinese aggression against Philippines at sea and in the air.
- How the Philippines is trying to deter Beijing.
- U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan’s meetings in Beijing and the Philippines-America treaty alliance.
- Bilateral and multilateral exercises and defence cooperation with countries in the region.
- President ‘Bong Bong’ Marcos’ internal and external policies on the issue.
- And India-Philippines ties including defence cooperation, especially the BrahMos missile system deal.
