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Magnitude 8.2 quake strikes Philippines, tsunami warning issued

An earthquake of ‌magnitude 8.2 struck Mindanao in the Philippines on Monday, the German ⁠Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) ‌said. The quake was at a ‌depth of 10⁠km (six ⁠miles), GFZ said. GFZ ‌earlier pegged the ‌earthquake at ‌7.3. The ‌US Tsunami Warning ⁠System issued a tsunami ⁠threat to the earthquake. The Philippines Seismology Agency has advised people in coastal areas in some southern provinces to evacuate to higher ground or move further inland. Indonesia and Japan have issued...

Beijing sends largest patrol ship east of Taiwan after Japan-Philippine boundary talks

Beijing has sent a flotilla that includes mainland China’s largest patrol vessel to waters east of Taiwan in response to Japanese-Philippine maritime boundary negotiations. The Ministry of Transport ships are expected to conduct joint patrols with a coastguard formation dispatched to the same waters last Monday. The Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily published a commentary on Sunday that accused Japan and the Philippines, which already have long-running territorial disputes with Beijing,...

Taiwan coast guard says deploys vessels in response to China operation

Taiwan’s coast guard said Sunday it has deployed vessels “to respond appropriately” to a Chinese operation in waters east of the island democracy, which it said “violates international law”. It comes after Chinese state media reported Saturday that the “law enforcement operation” was in response to talks between Japan and the Philippines to draw a […]

Philippines’ UN defeat: a result of domestic ‘political circus’, close ties with US?

The Philippines’ landslide defeat to Kyrgyzstan for a UN Security Council seat has dealt a blow to Manila’s long-running campaign to raise its international diplomatic profile through the prestigious body, prompting questions about President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s foreign policy legacy. Analysts said the loss reflected the appeal of having under-represented Central Asia play a role in the council, Kyrgyzstan’s perceived neutrality and the geopolitical baggage attached to the Philippines as a...

Are Japan-Philippines talks a maritime red line for China’s blue-water ambitions?

Beijing’s strong opposition to maritime boundary talks between Manila and Tokyo reflects growing wariness over a shifting balance of power in the western Pacific. And, experts warn, these talks – part of a highly calculated geopolitical effort by US allies – could reinforce the so-called first island chain and restrict Beijing’s naval access in an area vital to any potential conflict over Taiwan: its clear red line. Tensions have sharpened since Japan and the Philippines announced last week that...

Japan-Philippines maritime talks 2026

AirAsia denies Philippine flight grounding claims, slams ‘smear campaign’

AirAsia X has called recent media reports claiming its Philippine operations were being grounded “coordinated and sensationalised” and part of a “deliberate smear campaign”. In a statement, the airline group said the smear campaign had long been occurring in an attempt to undermine fair competition in the Philippine aviation sector. “Such narratives serve only the interests of those seeking to limit consumer choice and create conditions that could lead to a monopoly in the market,” it said. “A...

Citizen group to press for ‘transparency’ in Philippine VP Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial

A citizen watchdog has been launched in the Philippines to monitor Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial, as turmoil inside the Senate threatens to deepen public doubts over whether the politically explosive proceedings can be handled fairly and constitutionally. Members of civil society launched the coalition, called Bantay Senado (Senate Watch), on Monday, saying it would “help ensure that the impeachment trial is conducted transparently, fairly and forthwith, in keeping with...

How Japan and the Philippines are building a maritime security front against China

Japan and the Philippines are deepening defence and maritime cooperation over shared concerns about China, with broad implications that analysts said reached beyond the South China Sea. Following Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s state visit to Tokyo last week, the two sides agreed to launch formal talks on military intelligence sharing and maritime boundary delimitation, while elevating ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Beijing responded strongly, denouncing the boundary...

What does Beijing’s response to Tokyo-Manila boundary talks mean for Taiwan?

The mainland Chinese coastguard’s first independent law enforcement patrol east of Taiwan on Monday – in response to the maritime border talks between Japan and the Philippines – marked an expansion of its patrolled area beyond the traditional focus. Since its launch in 2021, the China Coast Guard (CCG) has routinely patrolled in the South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea. In recent years, apart from routine patrols around a few Taiwan-controlled islands, the CCG has also joined the...

China to the Philippines: don’t let ‘a few clowns’ sabotage ties with ‘political theatrics’

Beijing has condemned remarks by Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro Jnr, saying the comments seriously damaged bilateral trust and showed a lack of gratitude for Chinese aid. China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday called on Manila to take action to prevent “a few clowns” from sabotaging bilateral ties through repeated political theatrics, as ties between the two neighbours remained strained. On the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Teodoro said during an interview with...

Philippine Senate deadlock deepens after Estrada arrest, complicating Sara Duterte’s trial

The arrest of Philippine Senator Jinggoy Estrada has deepened a stand-off in the Senate, leaving the chamber split between two 11-member blocs and raising the risk of a wider political crisis, analysts told This Week in Asia. They warned the stalemate could stall legislation, delay military appointments and complicate Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial, leaving the Senate’s basic ability to do business hostage to a factional power struggle. Estrada, chairman of the Senate...

Philippine President Marcos’ ratings hit record low as inflation bites

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s net satisfaction rating has hit an all-time low, with observers citing deep-seated economic anxieties as the main driver behind the slump – even as expanded media exposure has helped boost awareness of his foreign policy initiatives. The latest Social Weather Stations survey put Marcos’ net satisfaction rating at minus 15 in March: a 12-point drop from minus 3 in November 2025 and the worst figure of his presidency, eclipsing the previous nadir of...

Why have Japan and the Philippines’ maritime boundary talks angered China?

The waters off eastern Taiwan have become a new flashpoint after Tokyo and Manila announced formal negotiations to delimit the maritime boundary of the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelf between Japan and the Philippines. On Monday, China’s coastguard carried out enforcement patrols in the region, exercising Beijing’s claimed right to maintain its own EEZ and continental shelf rights under both domestic and international law. The Taiwanese coastguard said it shadowed and...

Philippines’ bet on shaky investment pledges from the US risks China’s ire

“You have absolutely no idea of what you’re talking about. The whole point of Pax Silica is to partner with countries who are good at doing different things because everyone wins from a secure supply chain,” wrote US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg on a social media website in response to an online critic of the US strategic initiative with the Philippines. The spirited exchange came after Manila’s reported rejection of a request to extend diplomatic immunity to US...

Philippine lawmaker charged with corruption to surrender

A Philippine senator said he will surrender to authorities after a special anti-corruption court ordered his arrest on Monday on a non-bailable charge of plunder after he allegedly pocketed a huge kickback in a flood-control project in the latest crisis to hit the upper chamber. The special Sandiganbayan anti-corruption court had initially issued a warrant for Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s arrest on Friday on a corruption charge that was bailable. He then surrendered and was released on bail and...

Philippines, Vietnam close ranks on South China Sea as To Lam visits

The leaders of Vietnam and the Philippines upheld the importance of keeping the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea amid tensions in the strategic waterway where Beijing lays expansive claim. “As fellow claimant states, we reaffirm that maintaining peace, stability and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea remains non-negotiable,” Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said. He spoke at a joint briefing with visiting Vietnamese leader To Lam after their...

China responds to Japan-Philippines boundary talks with expanded sea patrols

Beijing has announced law enforcement patrols in waters east of Taiwan, in retaliation against Japan and the Philippines’ decision to launch maritime boundary delimitation talks. According to a statement from China’s coastguard, a formation led by its vessel Daishan conducted law enforcement patrols on Monday in waters east of Taiwan “in accordance with the law”. “This is a necessary action taken in response to Japan and the Philippines’ unilateral announcement of the launch of maritime...

Philippines says Beijing main hurdle to South China Sea code of conduct

Members of Asean might have conflicting claims in the South China Sea but mutual trust exists in the bloc, Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro Jnr said on Sunday, singling out Beijing as the biggest obstacle to a code of conduct in the disputed waterway. Teodoro delivered strong words for China in the final panel of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, taking aim at Manila’s long-time maritime rival for disregarding an international arbitral tribunal which ruled in favour...

AI ‘slopaganda’ and the battle for Philippine political reality

The Philippines is no stranger to politically weaponised memes and internet trolls. What has changed is the way information warfare is waged, now requiring nothing more than a smartphone and a well-crafted prompt. Supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte helped pioneer the industrialised use of social media to spread disinformation, rewarding loyalists and destroying opponents through the ruthless deployment of memes, viral videos, paid amplifiers and manufactured trending topics. Analysts...