Evolving Philippines-U.S.-China strategic triangle: International and domestic drivers

• Main Author: Heydarian, Richard Javad
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Philippines > Foreign relations administration; Balance of power; Philippines > Foreign relations > United States; United States > Foreign relations > Philippines; Philippines > Foreign relations > China; China > Foreign relations > Philippines; International Relations
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/3502
• Institution: De La Salle University

The triangular relations among three states—the Philippines, the United States, and the People's Republic of China—are governed by structural balance of power factors, “pragmatic opportunism” on the part of the superpowers, and the threat and opportunity perceptions of individual Philippine administrations. Recent years have seen Manila dramatically oscillating between the extremes of engagement and deterrence toward China, and dependence on, and independence from, the United States. In particular, while the Benigno Aquino III administration (2010–2016) adopted soft counterbalancing against China and heavily relied on American military support, the succeeding Rodrigo Duterte administration, in contrast, distanced itself from America in favor of deeper engagement with China. The seemingly erratic swings in the pendulum of Manila's foreign policy is a telltale sign of the dilemma of small power politics as well as the tempestuous nature of Philippine domestic politics. © 2017 Policy Studies Organization. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.