Manila’s high-stakes balancing act in the South China Sea

A Chinese coast guard ship (right) colliding with a Philippine government agency vessel near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on Aug 25. Mischief maker. Playing Russian roulette.

A Western pawn. As tensions between the Philippines and China escalate across flashpoints in the South China Sea, name-calling and accusations against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s government for stoking these confrontations have multiplied. Already a subscriber? Log in Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month $9.



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