US, Philippines tacitly realign against China
US-Philippine strategic interests are now strongly, if not quietly, realigning as the Trump administration takes a seemingly tougher stand in the South China Sea and steps up his country’s naval diplomacy in the region to contain China’s ambitions America’s proposed show of force in the waterway notably coincides with recent ramped up joint exercises with the Philippines, including the week-long “Cooperation of Warriors at Sea” drills which wrapped up on October 10.
