"Philippines' New Strategy to Counter South China Sea Tensions"

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines is strengthening alliances with the United States and seeking support from a broader network of partners in response to escalating tensions in the South China Sea. With China asserting its claims on the crucial waterway, Marcos has pledged closer cooperation with Vietnam, clinched a maritime deal with Australia, and engaged in diplomacy in Europe. Analysts believe this flurry of diplomacy may help deter China, but also warn of increased risks of conflict that could draw in the United States, the Philippines' oldest treaty ally.