Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s visit to the Philippines in November underscored the importance of the archipelago nation assisting the United States in the broader effort to deter the belligerence of the People’s Republic of China in the Indo-Pacific. As our treaty ally, the Philippines is showing initiative in the face of Chinese aggression through increased defense spending, calculated diplomatic mediation, and defense cooperation with the United States.
The geography of the Philippines plays a major role making the archipelago nation an ideal partner in the U.S. strategy for deterring Chinese aggression. The country is not only positioned astride the vital sea lanes of the South China Sea, which China is illegally trying to control, but is also comprised of a complex web of islands, bays, inlets, and channels that form a natural defensive barrier.
