02/09/2024

Why the Philippines is Increasingly Keeping a Close Eye on Taiwan

China refuses to budge on the disputed South China Sea

The Philippines has been butting heads with China for years over the disputed South China Sea, but increasingly the Southeast Asian country appears to be preparing for another potential battleground: Taiwan.

Earlier this week, defense chief Gilberto Teodoro visited a naval detachment and ordered a military buildup on Mavulis, the northernmost island of the province of Batanes, which Teodoro described as the "spearhead of the Philippines."

China wasn’t pleased with the development: in a press conference Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin warned that the Philippines must "tread carefully and don't play with fire on this [Taiwan] question to avoid being manipulated and eventually hurt."

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