Philippines’ ‘assertive transparency’ strategy is causing them to miss out economically

The Philippines is going all in with the United States and bracing itself against lost Chinese largesse. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr will fly to Washington next month to attend the US-Japan-Philippines trilateral leaders’ summit. It will be his fourth visit to the US since taking office as president less than two years ago.

South China Sea: Philippines must softly manage disputes or miss out economically

Previously:

PH: Compared To China, US Trade, Investment Offers Laughable + More

SCS: The Office of Naval Research funded Stanford’s GKC

Baltimore Bridge Fallout to Extend Coast-to-Coast in Cargo Shift

The bridge collapse Tuesday that shut the Port of Baltimore and closed a major highway will cause weeks or months of transportation disruptions in the Mid-Atlantic region and accelerate a shift of cargo to the US West Coast as importers and exporters try to avoid potential bottlenecks at trade gateways from Boston to Miami.

Baltimore Bridge Fallout to Extend Coast-to-Coast in Cargo Shift

Lighting Up the Gray Zone: The Philippines-Taiwan Counter-Coercion Toolkit

Perry World House’s Thomas Shattuck and Robin Garcia are out with an important new white paper which recommends the public release of visual information to counter China’s coercive activities, using the Philippines and Taiwan as examples. As the champions of “assertive transparency”, SeaLight enthusiastically welcomes this timely new scholarship!

Lighting Up the Gray Zone: The Philippines-Taiwan Counter-Coercion Toolkit

Perry World House is at the University of Pennsylvania, another university funded by the US government. I’ve updated my Project Myoushu document, to reflect the following:

The origin of Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. It’s sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, an organization within the Department of Navy. I saw it over at the Asian Century Journal, yesterday.

From a previous post.

Related:

Documents

Japan, U.S. and Philippines to discuss stronger military ties & US, Philippines to expand strategic port

US Ban on Xinjiang cotton is likely reducing Western artillery shell production

US Ban on Xinjiang cotton is likely reducing Western artillery shell production

Now, after passing this legislation [Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act], the West is bitching that China is withholding cotton from them, and that cotton cellulose is hard to find.

Related:

Europe battles gunpowder shortage amid Ukraine war

“To make powder, you need a specific kind of cotton, which mostly comes from China,” he said.

European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton on Friday told reporters in Paris that the bloc also faced challenges finding the raw materials for gunpowder.

Nitrocellulose, also known as guncotton, is a key ingredient in gunpowder manufacture.

*Xinjiang*

U.S. to Invest Billions to Replace China-Made Cranes at Nation’s Ports

U.S. to Invest Billions to Replace China-Made Cranes at Nation’s Ports

Administration officials said more than $20 billion would be invested in port security, including domestic cargo-crane production, over the next five years. The money, tapped from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in 2021, would support a U.S. subsidiary of Mitsui, a Japanese company, to produce the cranes, which officials said would be the first time in 30 years that they would be built domestically.

Related:

How Much Would It Cost To End Homelessness In America?

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, it would cost $20 billion to end homelessness in the United States.