https://www.scmp.com/rss/522723/feed The latest news and top stories on Sylwia Monika Gorska. A political analyst and doctoral candidate at the University of Central Lancashire, she specialises in Japan’s foreign policy, including its nuclear policies and their impact on Japan-China relations. Gorska holds both a Master of Arts in International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in Asia Pacific Studies from the University of Central Lancashire. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem Washington and its allies are drawing up plans to establish an ammunition production facility in the Philippines, a move critics warn would turn the Southeast Asian nation into a logistics arm of US “warmongering”. The proposal emerged last week from the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR), a US-led initiative founded in 2024 to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities and help allies produce and sustain military equipment closer to potential flashpoints. Members agreed to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347561/us-eyes-philippine-ammo-facility-opposition-warns-warmongering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347561/us-eyes-philippine-ammo-facility-opposition-warns-warmongering?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:00:15 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The United States has begun pulling missile-defence systems from South Korea to feed its war with Iran, prompting fresh questions in the Philippines about Washington’s military commitments to the Asia-Pacific. The transfer of Patriot batteries from the Korean peninsula, accompanied by reports that parts of a THAAD anti-missile system were also on the move, did not directly affect the US military presence in the Philippines. But the episode has forced a question that Manila would rather not have... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346226/us-missiles-leave-south-korea-philippines-asks-are-we-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346226/us-missiles-leave-south-korea-philippines-asks-are-we-next?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:23 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The Philippines cannot afford an aircraft carrier, could not sustain one if it had it and, according to most analysts, does not need one. What it needs is messier, cheaper and harder to photograph, they say: a web of missiles, patrol boats, frigates and surveillance assets designed not to project power, but to deny it. Two recent developments have made that choice harder to ignore. Last month, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr openly mused that an aircraft carrier with “accompanying... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344910/indonesia-getting-aircraft-carrier-philippines-isnt-does-it-matter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344910/indonesia-getting-aircraft-carrier-philippines-isnt-does-it-matter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 02:00:22 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem Australia has emerged as an alternate defence partner to long-time US ally the Philippines amid mounting uncertainty over American commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific. Canberra’s evolving ties with Manila hinge on its own strategic interests that may now align more closely with the Southeast Asian country’s than even those of Washington, observers say. Australia has committed to building eight infrastructure projects this year at five military bases in Luzon. Canberra will lead the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342824/why-australia-picking-tab-philippine-military-upgrades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342824/why-australia-picking-tab-philippine-military-upgrades?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem Russia’s accusation that the United States and Germany are recruiting Filipino mercenaries to fight in Ukraine is almost certainly disinformation, analysts say. Yet the claim exposes how easily Southeast Asian nations can be drawn into the information crossfire of global conflicts – becoming unwitting pawns in great-power narratives that shape opinions far beyond the battlefield. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that “US representatives” had enlisted Filipinos to join... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334731/russia-claims-filipino-troops-are-fighting-ukraine-manila-calls-it-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334731/russia-claims-filipino-troops-are-fighting-ukraine-manila-calls-it-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The Philippines and Japan have activated their new defence pact through a joint mission focused on delivering humanitarian aid following the deadly earthquake in Cebu, in a move that analysts say can lay the groundwork for deeper security cooperation in the region. The deployment marks the start of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), a landmark deal that allows troops from both countries to conduct joint exercises on each other’s territory. Signed in July 2024 and in force since September 11,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328229/philippines-and-japan-signal-defence-pacts-depth-aid-quake-hit-cebu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328229/philippines-and-japan-signal-defence-pacts-depth-aid-quake-hit-cebu?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 09:00:08 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The Philippines is among Asian nations to be covered by a US$55 million maritime defence funding from the United States, but Manila is not expected to buy any significant game-changing security assets with its share. Analysts say while the funding signals Washington’s focus on pulling mid-sized states into its orbit to counter Beijing’s growing regional presence, the Philippines is likely to use its undisclosed allocation on radars, drones and coastguard purchases. US Secretary of State Marco... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327110/how-will-philippines-use-its-share-us55-million-maritime-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327110/how-will-philippines-use-its-share-us55-million-maritime-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 07:30:10 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The South China Sea is about to become more militarised as the United States commits to deploying cutting-edge missile and drone systems in the Philippines. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the move during high-level talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Monday US time, signalling Washington’s push to create a “strong shield of real deterrence” against growing Chinese influence and prepare for potential crisis scenarios. The new weapons would form part of a broader... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319250/will-more-us-missiles-philippines-deter-or-provoke-south-china-sea-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319250/will-more-us-missiles-philippines-deter-or-provoke-south-china-sea-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 07:13:38 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem A discreet but strategically significant US-funded boat maintenance hub in the western Philippines is poised to strengthen Manila’s maritime presence in the contested South China Sea while avoiding raising the risk of political escalation. The new facility in Quezon, a coastal town on Palawan Island less than 260km (162 miles) from the flashpoint Second Thomas Shoal, could enable the Philippine Navy to maintain a more persistent and responsive posture amid rising tensions with China, in what... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318432/us-build-philippines-boat-hub-south-china-sea-edge-low-footprint-deterrence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318432/us-build-philippines-boat-hub-south-china-sea-edge-low-footprint-deterrence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 10:30:11 +0000