MANILA, Philippines — Incoming US President Donald Trump faces a pressing challenge in countering China’s aggressive expansion in the South China Sea, a critical region where the Philippines, a longstanding ally, has struggled to assert its sovereign rights.
Retired US Air Force Colonel Ray Powell, director of the maritime transparency project SeaLight at Stanford University, emphasized the need for swift and strategic action. According to Powell, China’s actions thrive on perceived weakness, and the US must demonstrate strength to protect its interests and those of its allies.
Powell suggested the new administration could strengthen ties with the Philippines by supporting joint development of the Recto (Reed) Bank’s natural gas reserves, an area claimed by Manila but effectively blocked by Beijing’s threats.
He said the US, unlike China, could make clear it has no designs on the Philippines’ sovereign rights, offering an opportunity to reclaim initiative in the contested waters.
Reinforcing naval operations is also critical. Powell underscored the importance of asserting freedom of navigation and conducting joint US-Philippine missions to challenge China’s claims. These efforts could extend to bolstering Philippine-held outposts like Thitu Island, where civilians frequently endure harassment by Chinese vessels. Deploying military and civic missions to assist residents of Pag-asa (Thitu) Island and improve infrastructure would send a clear message of US support.
Expanding existing defense cooperation agreements with Manila to include more West Philippine Sea outposts is another measure Powell proposed. This would signal Washington’s commitment to mutual defense and counter Beijing’s increasingly assertive posture in the region.
Powell likened the situation to Trump’s decision to relocate the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem—a bold move that met initial resistance but ultimately succeeded. He argued that the South China Sea demands similar resolve before Beijing solidifies its maritime occupation and the window for effective action closes.
Caution, Powell warned, has only allowed China to advance its strategic goals unchecked. Decisive US leadership could still reverse this trajectory and reaffirm the strength of its alliance with the Philippines, while promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific.
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