Prospects for bilateral talks still appear slim after the US said China had declined a proposal to meet, and PLA brass confirms Washington’s refusal to lift sanctions on Li as a key reason for the rejection.

One senator accused the Philippine gaming industry watchdog of being corrupt and failing to monitor human trafficking rings using Pogos as ‘legal cover’ to run online scams.

The code of conduct could take years to finalise, and skirmishes between China and claimant states could affect trust and reduce chances of compromise.

Senior Chinese officials are likely to be ‘unhappy’ and ‘disappointed’ over Marcos Jnr’s moves to forge closer military ties with the US without regard for China’s sensitivities.

Chinese and Vietnamese vessels confronted each other in recent days on multiple occasions as a Chinese research ship moved within Hanoi’s exclusive economic zone.

Andres Centino assured troops of more resources and manpower as Manila shifts its focus from internal security to territorial defence.

A Filipino senator says the State Grid Corporation of China’s 40 per cent stake in the national power grid may pose a security threat.

The coastguard set up 5 buoys carrying the national flag in the 322km zone, including the Whitsun Reef, where hundreds of Chinese maritime vessels moored in 2021.

Recalling his small nation’s diplomatic spat with China over a Taiwan office, Gabrielius Landsbergis says Beijing pressure tactics are likely to carry on.

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is not in favour of imposing a deadline on China-Philippines negotiations, and that the issue has been ‘complicated’ by China’s separate talks with Asean states.

In this edition of the Global Impact newsletter, we look at how the Philippines finds itself caught between China and the United States

The Philippine ambassador to the US said joint patrols between the two nations in the disputed South China Sea may begin later this year.

The Philippine president also said Washington had not asked his government to provide troops in case of war between China and the US over Taiwan.

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s visit to Washington amid tensions with Beijing yields plan for enhanced intelligence sharing on shared ‘threats and challenges’.

Arrayed against a far larger and more powerful Chinese fleet, the Philippine coastguard’s patrols often face David and Goliath confrontations, especially near China’s artificial island bases.

Manila would ‘inevitably be collateral damage’ in a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, which explains pivot to Washington, observer says.

Taipei says joint statement underscores the ‘consensus from countries in the region to uphold cross-strait peace and stability’.

The US will transfer three C-130 aircraft and two coastal patrol ships to the Philippines; a slew of economic, climate and other initiatives were also unveiled.

The Philippine president said China has agreed to ‘sit down’ and talk about Filipinos’ fishing rights. He also said he would not allow his country to become a ‘staging post’ for military action.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s visit and meeting with US President Joe Biden comes soon after the US called on Beijing to stop ‘provocative and unsafe conduct’ in the disputed South China Sea.