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The Philippines
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The Philippines

The Philippines
The Philippines
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on the Philippines, covering politics, economy, society, and Manila’s relationships with China and its Southeast Asian neighbours.
Lieutenant General Antonio G. Nafarrete has been appointed as the Philippines’ next armed forces chief. Photo: handout
Defence

Philippines taps combat veteran to lead armed forces amid regional tensions

Lieutenant General Antonio G. Nafarrete’s career has been closely tied to the restive Mindanao region, which is preparing for polls.

South China Sea

Chinese loans to Philippines stay resilient despite maritime row

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South China Sea

China lodges protest with Philippines after latest Second Thomas Shoal clash

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SCMP Highlights

Malaysia’s US$500m warship, Philippines’ Pax Silica AI hub: 7 Asia highlights

From Bali’s bid to become a financial hub to Japan’s bind over US’ ICC campaign, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

A French Gowind-class offshore patrol vessel, of the design on which Malaysia’s littoral combat vessel is based. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

Video | Philippine sailor injured in clash with China Coast Guard

China Coast Guard claims that the Philippines was “first to maliciously attack”.

South China Sea

Chinese and Philippine maritime forces clash at Second Thomas Shoal

Personnel on Chinese speedboat and Philippine dinghy come to blows in countdown to Asean foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila.

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International Property

Chinese immigrants play outsized role in Canada’s housing scene amid foreign ban

Chinese permanent residents, exempted from the ban, are estimated to have bought US$4 billion worth of homes last year in Canada.

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Ottawa bars most foreigners from purchasing homes, though students, foreign workers and permanent residents are exempt from the restriction. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia

Malaysia adds South China Sea eyes in the sky amid Sabah row with Philippines

Long-range radar at Swallow Reef and new drones in Labuan aim to give Malaysia better oversight of its eastern waters.

World Health Organization (WHO)

‘Something beyond science’: Philippine school for exorcists draws Asia’s priests

A priest from the Michael Centre for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism says he can tell if cases are possessed by ‘a change in behaviour’.

Asean

Can Philippines turn reforms into gains in Southeast Asia’s FDI race?

Reforms have thrust the country into the spotlight as it seeks to lure capital away from Vietnam, Malaysia and elsewhere.

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Containers and cranes at the international port of Manila last year. Risk analysts have praised the Philippines for its market openness, regulatory strength and labour rights. Photo: AFP
Defence

Philippines’ plan to fortify coastal defences: deterrence or target?

The plan to establish coastal defence assets in Palawan is unlikely to close the country’s military gap with China, analysts say.

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Oyster Bay naval facility in Palawan province, the Philippines. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Philippines’ Pax Silica AI hub plan slammed for mineral ‘plunder’

The proposed US-led plan is another example of the authorities’ insincerity in addressing the concerns of affected communities, critics say.

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South China Sea

Philippine military assures ‘no vacuum’ over top officer’s retirement

The transition comes at a sensitive time due to ongoing tensions in the South China Sea and Manila’s row with some retired officers over Marcos.

South China Sea

US coastguard cutters have a South China Sea mission. Will it make a difference?

The vessels will take part in maritime security operations with regional partners in the western Pacific.

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The US is sending half a dozen of its coastguard cutters to the western Pacific, redeploying them from the Middle East. Photo: US Naval Forces Central Command
China-Philippines relations

Does Beijing own Batanes? Why Chinese scholars’ claim is a warning to Manila

Analysts say the controversial assertions may be a way for Beijing to signal dissatisfaction with Japan-Philippines maritime border talks.

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The Batanes Islands, an archipelago between Taiwan and the northernmost tip of the Philippine island of Luzon, were the focus of an academic discussion in southern China late last month. Photo: Getty Images
Transport and logistics

Philippines’ iconic jeepneys sputter up a costly climb to go electric

Observers point to the high costs of owning an e-jeepney and a lack of government support in enabling the electric shift.

South China Sea

Opinion | Path to South China Sea stability doesn’t run through US, UK or the EU

The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours.

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US-China relations

Global views of China and Xi improve as perceptions of US decline: Pew survey

China’s image has recovered from pandemic lows while confidence in the US and its global leadership has weakened.

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Pew found China now holds a higher average favourability rating than the US among 20 countries tracked over time. Photo: Shutterstock
Crime

Philippines starts active school shooter drills after deadly gun attack

June’s fatal shooting at a school in the Visayas region shocked the nation, where mass violence in educational settings is very rare.

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South China Sea

How Beijing’s islands of control are reshaping the South China Sea

Ten years after the Hague’s tribunal ruling, Beijing’s island-building strategy has effectively eclipsed the 2016 decision, observers say.

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Crime

Philippine police hunt suspects after US marine biologist shot dead in Sibulan

Three men, whose faces were covered, forced their way into 73-year-old Kent Carpenter’s home and shot him in the head, killing him instantly.

Kent Carpenter had worked as a lecturer at the Silliman University. Photo: Old Dominion University
South China Sea

Beijing’s plan to solve South China Sea disputes, 10 years after Hague ruling

China should keep engaging in good-faith diplomacy and use International Organisation for Mediation to help ease tensions, analysts say.

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A China Coast Guard ship sails near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on June 18. Photo: Kyodo
Food and agriculture

‘All talk’: farmers warn Philippines isn’t ready for ‘super’ El Nino

Rice output could be slashed by 700,000 tonnes as dams dry up, evoking memories of the Philippine drought of 1997-98.

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SCMP Highlights

US$15b illegal baby trade; Philippines’ investment lag: 7 Asia highlights

From Japan’s bid for a massive tourism boom to a look at the illegal baby trade, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

South China Sea

Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?

A new cooperation agreement chips away at China’s bilateral negotiation tactic, but experts say its value is mostly symbolic.

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Why a Chinese academic claim over Batanes has unsettled the Philippines

A symposium in Guangzhou has claimed Batanes ‘constitutes a natural geographical extension of Taiwan’ and therefore belongs to mainland China.

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The port of Basco in Batanes, the Philippines. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem
South China Sea

South China Sea: 10 years after Hague ruling, how has the Philippines’ stance evolved?

Officials and analysts say Manila’s deterrence strategies can now make China ‘at least hesitate’, even though there is still much to be done.

South China Sea

Japan’s ‘destructive potential’ in South China Sea may eclipse the US: analyst

Japan’s recent firing of an anti-ship missile was first time it had shown its ‘military muscle’ since World War II, security round table told.

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