2026-07-02 | SCSPI
In March 1947, the U.S. and the Philippines signed the Military Bases Agreement (MBA) and the Military Assistance Agreement (MAA), granting the U.S. rent-free use of 23 Philippine bases for a period of 99 years. Concurrently, the U.S. provided military funding, weapons and equipment, training, and technical assistance to help the Philippines stabilize its political situation and build its armed forces. In August 1951, the two countries signed the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), which commits both parties to jointly resist potential external armed attacks, marking the formal establishment of the U.S.-Philippine alliance. In September 1966, the Ramos-Rusk Agreement reduced the lease term from 99 years to 25 years. In September 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected a new agreement that would have extended U.S. base rights, forcing the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Philippine bases. Subsequently, the U.S. military maintained a temporary presence and conducted joint training in the Philippines through the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA).
2026-06-25 | BY SCSPI
In 2025, the US military continued to strengthen its military deterrence against China, maintaining high-intensity operations including close-in reconnaissance, Taiwan Strait transits, forward presence, strategic cruising, military exercises and drills, as well as battlefield preparation in the South China Sea and its surrounding areas. Among them, large reconnaissance aircraft conducted about 1,200 missions, and ocean surveillance and oceanographic survey ships accumulated 197 ship days of activity. Carrier strike groups (CSGs) have entered the South China Sea 9 times, demonstrating a strong presence. At least 11 nuclear submarines appeared in the region throughout the year, signaling a clear deterrence intention. Furthermore, bombers conducted 13 sorties across 7 deployments into the South China Sea and its surrounding areas, frequently rehearsing “north-south converging maneuvers” and “distributed operations”.
2026-05-25 | BY SCSPI
In 2025, non-US extra-regional countries continued to expand their military presence in the Western Pacific, undertaking activities such as reconnaissance patrols, Taiwan Strait transits, forward deployments, drills and exercises, as well as port calls. The UK and France deployed carrier strike groups (CSGs) to the region, and conducted joint drills with allies like the US and Japan. Australia performed multiple declaratory operations in the name of defending “freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea and participated in multilateral maritime cooperation activities led by the Philippines. Additionally, countries such as Canada, New Zealand, and India actively took part in multinational patrols and exercises.
2025-07-09 | BY Yu Minna
Over the past 70 years, China’s role and contributions in safeguarding maritime safety in the South China Sea have been widely recognized. Especially in the past decade, China has made steady and commensurate contributions through initiatives such as providing intelligent navigation services, strengthening maritime disaster prevention and mitigation, developing an integrated sea-air search and rescue system, and deepening international cooperation against transnational maritime crimes.
2025-03-25 | BY SCSPI
In 2024, the US military continued to strengthen its military deterrence against China, maintaining high-intensity operations including close-in reconnaissance, Taiwan Strait transits, forward presence, strategic cruising, military exercises and drills, as well as battlefield preparation in the South China Sea and its surrounding areas. Among them, large reconnaissance aircraft conducted about 1,000 missions, and ocean surveillance and measurement vessels accumulated 706 ship days of activity, marking a significant increase compared to 2023. Carrier strike groups (CSGs) have entered the South China Sea 8 times, demonstrating a strong presence. At least 11 nuclear attack submarines, two guided missile submarines and one ballistic missile submarine appeared in the region throughout the year, signaling a clear deterrence intention. Additionally, the number of batches and sorties of bombers entering the South China Sea has significantly increased, with frequent exercises of “north-south double” and “distributed operations”.
2024-09-26 | BY SCSPI
In recent years, driven by US attempts to “contain China” using maritime disputes, tensions in the South China Sea have escalated. The intensification of certain disputes has attracted significant international attention. However, current frictions mainly exist among some disputing parties, and any relevant disputes have not affected other countries’ navigation and overflight freedoms in the South China Sea. China-US militaries’ interactions and encounters in the area are generally professional and safe. The impact of great power competition on navigation and overflight freedoms in the South China Sea remains manageable. The primary threats to maritime navigation are non-traditional security factors such as geographical obstacles, natural disasters, unbalanced development, piracy, and armed robbery against ships, which have long been overlooked and lack due attention.