Linking Spokes Together: The P hilippines' Gambit of Harnessing the United States' Alliances in its External Balancing Policy against an Emergent C hina

This article examines the P hilippines' strategy of external balancing against an aggressive C hina as it intensifies its security ties with the U nited S tates, its only strategic and long‐standing ally. This course of action aims to strengthen the country's defense relations with the U nited S tates, particularly in developing the territorial defense capabilities of the A rmed F orces of the P hilippines. In this process, the P hilippines finds it similarly essential to establish security ties with other bilateral defense partners of the U nited S tates, such as J apan, S outh K orea, and A ustralia. In conclusion, the article argues that fostering informal security arrangements with these countries enables the P hilippines to confront a pressing and persistent maritime issue in S outheast A sia: C hina's expansion in the S outh C hina S ea.