U.S. tries to regain advantages over China in South China Sea by exploiting the Philippines: expert

The U.S. and the Philippines recently launched their 2025 joint military drills, bringing more uncertainties to the Asia-Pacific region.

In an interview with China News Network, Lin Kaicheng, associate professor at the School of Marxism, Jinan University, as well as deputy director of International Public Opinion Monitoring Laboratory on Chinese Peripheral Security in the South China Sea, agreed that China is gaining military advantages in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Therefore, the U.S. is accelerating weapons deployments and strategic competition to regain the upper hand.

U.S. approaches toward China, the South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait all follow a deliberate pattern that involves short-term adjustment, medium-term adaptation, and long-term planning, said Lin.

He pointed out that in the long run, the U.S. is faced with the problem of China-U.S. power contrast in the Indo-Pacific region and even globally. “The U.S. and the Philippines emphasize shared values when strengthening military ties, which will persistently undermine regional security stability,” he said.