Editing Philippines (section)

=== Foreign relations ===
{{Main|Foreign relations of the Philippines}}
[[File:Diplomatic missions of the Philippines.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|alt=Color-coded world map|[[List of diplomatic missions of the Philippines|Philippine diplomatic missions worldwide]]]]

A [[Philippines and the United Nations|founding and active member]] of the United Nations,<ref name="Buhler-2001" />{{rp|pages={{plain link|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ty7NAG1Jl-8C&pg=PA37|name=37–38}}}} the Philippines has been a non-permanent member of the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|title=The Philippines and the UN Security Council |url=http://www.un.int/philippines/security_council/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030423092237/http://www.un.int/philippines/security_council/ |archive-date=April 23, 2003 |access-date=February 3, 2023 |publisher=Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations}}</ref> The country participates in [[peacekeeping]] missions, particularly in [[United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor|East Timor]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|last1=Morada |first1=Noel |title=Contributor Profile: The Philippines |url=https://www.ipinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ipi-pub-ppp-Philippines.pdf |publisher=[[International Peace Institute]] |pages=1–4 |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321073939/https://www.ipinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ipi-pub-ppp-Philippines.pdf |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |date=December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|date=August 30, 2014 |title=In the know: Filipino peacekeepers |newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |url=https://globalnation.inquirer.net/110218/in-the-know-filipino-peacekeepers |access-date=January 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831201046/https://globalnation.inquirer.net/110218/in-the-know-filipino-peacekeepers |archive-date=August 31, 2014}}</ref> The Philippines is a [[ASEAN Declaration|founding]] and active member of [[ASEAN]] (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|title=ASEAN Structure |url=http://www.summit99.ops.gov.ph/asean_structure.htm |website=3rd ASEAN Informal Summit |publisher=[[Office of the Press Secretary (Philippines)|Office of the Press Secretary]] |date=1999 |access-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030109213038/http://www.summit99.ops.gov.ph/asean_structure.htm |archive-date=January 9, 2003 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Keyuan |editor-first1=Zou |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iWBCEAAAQBAJ |title=Routledge Handbook of the South China Sea |date=2021 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, England |isbn=978-1-000-39613-3 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=iWBCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA337 337] |language=en |access-date=March 9, 2023 |archive-date=April 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407033455/https://books.google.com/books?id=iWBCEAAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}</ref> and a member of the [[East Asia Summit]],<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|title=East Asia Summit (EAS) |url=https://www.dfat.gov.au/international-relations/regional-architecture/eas/Pages/east-asia-summit-eas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726165059/https://www.dfat.gov.au/international-relations/regional-architecture/eas/Pages/east-asia-summit-eas |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |access-date=July 26, 2020 |website=[[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]] |publisher=[[Australian Government]]}}</ref> the [[Group of 24]],<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|title=International Economic Cooperation: Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four (on International Monetary Affairs and Development (G-24) |url=https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Pages/AboutTheBank/WhoWeAre/MandateFunctionsAndResponsibilities/InternationalEconomicCooperation/InternationalEconomicCooperationIGTF.aspx |access-date=July 17, 2022 |publisher=[[Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229140058/https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Pages/AboutTheBank/WhoWeAre/MandateFunctionsAndResponsibilities/InternationalEconomicCooperation/InternationalEconomicCooperationIGTF.aspx |archive-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref> and the [[Non-Aligned Movement]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|title=About NAM |url=http://cns.miis.edu/nam/index.php/site/about |website=Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Disarmament Database |publisher=[[James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies]], [[Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey]] |access-date=April 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928052527/http://cns.miis.edu/nam/index.php/site/about |archive-date=September 28, 2020}}</ref> The country has sought to obtain observer status in the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]] since 2003,<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Lee-Brago |first1=Pia |title=RP seeks observer status in OIC |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2003/05/30/208100/rp-seeks-observer-status-oic |access-date=March 22, 2023 |work=[[The Philippine Star]] |date=May 30, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322181401/https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2003/05/30/208100/rp-seeks-observer-status-oic |archive-date=March 22, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|last1=Sevilla |first1=Henelito A. Jr. |title=The Philippines' Elusive Quest for Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Observer Status |url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/philippines-elusive-quest-organization-islamic-conference-oic-observer-status |publisher=[[Middle East Institute]] |access-date=March 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121161216/https://www.mei.edu/publications/philippines-elusive-quest-organization-islamic-conference-oic-observer-status |archive-date=November 21, 2018 |language=en |date=May 20, 2013}}</ref> and was a member of [[SEATO]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-last1=Tucker |editor-first1=Spencer C. |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History |edition=Second |volume=I: A–G |title=Philippines |date=May 20, 2011 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |isbn=978-1-85109-961-0 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=qh5lffww-KsC&pg=PA907 907] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qh5lffww-KsC |language=en |editor-link1=Spencer C. Tucker |access-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731183806/https://books.google.com/books?id=qh5lffww-KsC |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Liow |first1=Joseph Chinyong |encyclopedia=Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Southeast Asia |edition=Fourth |title=SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) 1955–77 |date=November 20, 2014 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon, Oxon, England |isbn=978-1-317-62233-8 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=G5KLBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA334 334] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G5KLBQAAQBAJ |language=en |access-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319184926/https://books.google.com/books?id=G5KLBQAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}</ref> Over 10&nbsp;million Filipinos [[Overseas Filipinos|live]] and [[Overseas Filipino Worker|work in 200 countries]],<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Sahoo |editor-first1=Ajaya K. |title=Routledge Handbook of Asian Diaspora and Development |series=Routledge Handbooks |date=March 30, 2021 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon, Oxon, England |isbn=978-1-000-36686-0 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7xsfEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA255 255] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7xsfEAAAQBAJ |language=en |access-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318185509/https://books.google.com/books?id=7xsfEAAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |title=Stock Estimate of Filipinos Overseas As of December 2013 |url=http://www.cfo.gov.ph/images/stories/pdf/StockEstimate2013.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207092932/http://www.cfo.gov.ph/images/stories/pdf/StockEstimate2013.pdf |archive-date=February 7, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2020 |publisher=[[Philippine Overseas Employment Administration]]}}</ref> giving the Philippines [[soft power]].<ref name="Thompson-Batalla-2018" />{{rp|page={{plain link|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DmkPEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA207|name=207}}}}

During the 1990s, the Philippines began to seek [[economic liberalization]] and [[free trade]]<ref name="ILOOrg-2019">{{cite report |title=The Impact of Trade on Employment in the Philippines: Country Report |date=April 2019 |publisher=[[International Labour Organization]] |location=Makati, Philippines |isbn=978-92-2-133021-9 |url=https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_742567.pdf |access-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124055119/https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_742567.pdf |archive-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref>{{rp|pages=7–8}} to help spur [[foreign direct investment]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Venzon |first1=Cliff |title=Philippines eases Asia's toughest FDI rules with new retail entry law |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Retail/Philippines-eases-Asia-s-toughest-FDI-rules-with-new-retail-entry-law |access-date=April 2, 2023 |work=[[Nikkei Asia]] |date=January 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117055231/https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Retail/Philippines-eases-Asia-s-toughest-FDI-rules-with-new-retail-entry-law |archive-date=January 17, 2022}}</ref> It is a member of the [[World Trade Organization]]<ref name="ILOOrg-2019" />{{rp|page=8}} and the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|title=Philippines |url=https://www.apec.org/groups/committee-on-trade-and-investment/market-access-group/ntm/philippines |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220717043955/https://www.apec.org/groups/committee-on-trade-and-investment/market-access-group/ntm/philippines |archive-date=July 17, 2022 |access-date=July 17, 2022 |publisher=[[Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation]]}}</ref> The Philippines entered into the [[ASEAN Free Trade Area|ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement]] in 2010<ref>{{cite book |title=Impact of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) on Intra-ASEAN Trade |date=August 2021 |publisher=[[Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia]] |location=Jakarta, Indonesia |isbn=978-602-5460-19-7 |url=https://www.eria.org/uploads/media/Books/2021-Impact-of-the-ATIGA-on-Intra-ASEAN-Trade/Impact-of-the-ATIGA-on-Intra-ASEAN-Trade.pdf |access-date=June 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824114701/https://www.eria.org/uploads/media/Books/2021-Impact-of-the-ATIGA-on-Intra-ASEAN-Trade/Impact-of-the-ATIGA-on-Intra-ASEAN-Trade.pdf |archive-date=August 24, 2021 |chapter=Chapter 2: Background and Objectives}}</ref> and the [[Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership]] [[free trade agreement]] (FTA) in 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Tan |first1=Alyssa Nicole O. |title=Senate concurs with Philippines' RCEP ratification |url=https://www.bworldonline.com/top-stories/2023/02/22/506166/senate-concurs-with-philippines-rcep-ratification/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |work=[[BusinessWorld]] |date=February 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223061750/https://www.bworldonline.com/top-stories/2023/02/22/506166/senate-concurs-with-philippines-rcep-ratification/ |archive-date=February 23, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Philippines Ratifies RCEP Agreement: Opportunities for Businesses |url=https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/philippines-ratifies-rcep-agreement-opportunities-for-businesses/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |work=ASEAN Briefing |publisher=Dezan Shira & Associates |date=March 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322221610/https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/philippines-ratifies-rcep-agreement-opportunities-for-businesses/ |archive-date=March 22, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Through ASEAN, the Philippines has signed FTAs with [[ASEAN–China Free Trade Area|China]], [[ASEAN–India Free Trade Area|India]], Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.<ref name="ILOOrg-2019" />{{rp|page=15}} The country has bilateral FTAs with [[Japan–Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement|Japan]], South Korea,<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Mangaluz |first1=Jean |title=PH signs free trade agreement with South Korea |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1828353/ph-signs-free-trade-agreement-with-sokor |access-date=September 20, 2023 |newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907140509/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1828353/ph-signs-free-trade-agreement-with-sokor |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> and [[European Free Trade Association|four European states]]: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.<ref name="ILOOrg-2019" />{{rp|pages=9–10, 15}}
[[Image:2 Filipino soldiers painting friendship flags 070217-N-4198C-001 0V7HO.jpg|thumb|Filipino soldiers painting a U.S. and Philippine flag]]
The Philippines has a long [[Philippines–United States relations|relationship with the United States]], involving economics, [[CIA activities in the Philippines|security]], and interpersonal relations.<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|date=December 15, 2016 |title=U.S. Relations With the Philippines |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2794.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122194536/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2794.htm |archive-date=January 22, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2020 |publisher=[[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]]. [[Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs]]}}</ref> The Philippines' location [[United States bases in the Philippines|serves]] an [[First island chain|important role]] in the United States' [[island chain strategy]] in the West Pacific;<ref>{{cite book |author1=[[United States Department of State]] |title=Foreign Relations of the United States: 1950 |volume=VI: East Asia and the Pacific |date=1976 |publisher=[[U.S. Government Printing Office]] |isbn=<!-- ISBN unspecified --> |location=Washington, D.C. |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=DeUtAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1516 1516] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DeUtAAAAYAAJ |language=en |oclc=7165200 |access-date=April 14, 2023 |archive-date=May 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504064117/https://books.google.com/books?id=DeUtAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cronin |first1=Patrick M. |title=Rethinking Asian Alliances |journal=Joint Force Quarterly |date=September 1993 |issue=2 |publisher=Institute for National Strategic Studies, [[National Defense University (Washington, D.C.)|National Defense University]] |page=121 |url=https://ndupress.ndu.edu/portals/68/Documents/jfq/jfq-2.pdf |access-date=April 14, 2023 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410212247/https://ndupress.ndu.edu/portals/68/Documents/jfq/jfq-2.pdf |archive-date=April 10, 2014}}</ref> a [[Mutual Defense Treaty (United States–Philippines)|Mutual Defense Treaty]] between the two countries was signed in 1951, and was supplemented with the [[Philippines–United States Visiting Forces Agreement|1999 Visiting Forces Agreement]] and the 2016 [[Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Advincula-Lopez |first1=Leslie V. |title=Challenges and Gains in Military Relations between the Philippines and the United States |journal=Asia Pacific Bulletin |date=June 13, 2022 |issue=586 |url=https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/private/586.1030-al-pdf.pdf |publisher=[[East–West Center]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430123136/https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/private/586.1030-al-pdf.pdf |archive-date=April 30, 2023}}</ref> The country supported American policies during the [[Cold War]] and participated in the [[Korean War|Korean]] and [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]] wars.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jagel |first1=Matthew |title="Showing Its Flag": The United States, The Philippines, and the Vietnam War |journal=Past Tense: Graduate Review of History |date=July 11, 2013 |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=18, 28–38 |url=https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/91307/1/showing%20its%20flag_19836-Article%20Text-46661-1-10-20130711.pdf |access-date=May 9, 2023 |publisher=[[University of Toronto]] |language=en-ca |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731043832/https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/91307/1/showing%20its%20flag_19836-Article%20Text-46661-1-10-20130711.pdf |archive-date=July 31, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sanders |first=Vivienne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YOQqCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT44 |title=The Cold War in Asia 1945–93 |edition=Second |series=Access to History |date=2015 |publisher=[[Hodder Education]] |location=London, England |isbn=978-1-4718-3880-4}}</ref> In 2003, the Philippines was designated a major non-NATO ally.<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Garamone |first=Jim |date=May 19, 2003 |title=Philippines to Become Major non-NATO Ally, Bush Says |work=[[American Forces Press Service]] |publisher=[[United States Department of Defense]] |url=https://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=28968 |access-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809092207/https://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=28968 |archive-date=August 9, 2020}}</ref> [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Under President Duterte]], ties with the United States weakened in favor of improved relations with China and [[Philippines–Russia relations|Russia]].<ref name="DeCastro-2022">{{cite journal |last1=De Castro |first1=Renato Cruz |title=Caught Between Appeasement and Limited Hard Balancing: The Philippines' Changing Relations With the Eagle and the Dragon |journal=[[Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs]] |date=August 2022 |volume=41 |issue=2 |pages=262–272 |doi=10.1177/18681034221081143 |issn=1868-1034 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|last1=Chang |first1=Felix K. |title=Hot and Cold: The Philippines' Relations with China (and the United States) |url=https://www.fpri.org/article/2021/07/hot-and-cold-the-philippines-relations-with-china-and-the-united-states/ |website=Policy Commons |publisher=[[Foreign Policy Research Institute]] |access-date=April 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430125452/https://policycommons.net/artifacts/1805035/hot-and-cold/2537128/ |archive-date=April 30, 2023 |date=July 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|last1=Heydarian |first1=Richard Javad |title=Duterte's Pivot to Russia |url=https://amti.csis.org/dutertes-pivot-to-russia/ |website=Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative |publisher=[[Center for Strategic and International Studies]] |access-date=April 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019023259/https://amti.csis.org/dutertes-pivot-to-russia/ |archive-date=October 19, 2019 |date=October 17, 2019}}</ref> The Philippines relies heavily on the United States for its external defense;<ref name="Lum-Dolven-2014" />{{rp|page=11}} the U.S. has made regular assurances to defend the Philippines,<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Ismael |first1=Javier Joe |last2=Baroña |first2=Franco Jose C. |last3=Mendoza |first3=Red |title=US to 'invoke' defense pact in attack on PH |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/10/01/news/national/us-to-invoke-defense-pact-in-attack-on-ph/1912561 |access-date=October 24, 2023 |work=[[The Manila Times]] |date=October 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001012654/https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/10/01/news/national/us-to-invoke-defense-pact-in-attack-on-ph/1912561 |archive-date=October 1, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> including the [[South China Sea]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Moriyasu |first=Ken |date=January 29, 2021 |title=US vows to defend Philippines, including in South China Sea |work=[[Nikkei Asia]] |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/South-China-Sea/US-vows-to-defend-Philippines-including-in-South-China-Sea |access-date=February 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128202512/https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/South-China-Sea/US-vows-to-defend-Philippines-including-in-South-China-Sea |archive-date=January 28, 2021}}</ref>

Since 1975, the Philippines has valued its [[China–Philippines relations|relations with China]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Banlaoi |first1=Rommel C. |author1-link=Rommel Banlaoi |title=Security Aspects of Philippines-China Relations: Bilateral Issues and Concerns in the Age of Global Terrorism |date=2007 |publisher=[[REX Book Store, Inc.]] |location=Manila, Philippines |isbn=978-971-23-4929-4 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=PgmV5quo0UMC&pg=PA53 53–55] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgmV5quo0UMC |language=en}}</ref>—its top trading partner,<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Cacho |first1=Katlene O. |title=China leads PH export, import market; envoy vows to deepen ties with Cebu |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/china-leads-ph-export-import-market-envoy-vows-to-deepen-ties-with-cebu |access-date=November 2, 2023 |work=[[SunStar]] |date=October 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102194950/https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/china-leads-ph-export-import-market-envoy-vows-to-deepen-ties-with-cebu |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> and cooperates significantly with the country.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Storey |first1=Ian |title=Southeast Asia and the Rise of China: The Search for Security |series=Routledge Security in Asia Series |date=August 21, 2013 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=London, England |isbn=978-1-136-72297-4 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=WO59snyW0HIC&pg=PA251 251] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WO59snyW0HIC |language=en}}</ref><ref name="DeCastro-2022" /> Japan is the biggest bilateral contributor of [[official development assistance]] to the Philippines;<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Brutas |first=Ma Karen |date=November 18, 2016 |title=Top development aid donors to the Philippines 2015 |work=[[Devex]] |url=https://www.devex.com/news/top-development-aid-donors-to-the-philippines-2015-89091 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119112216/https://www.devex.com/news/top-development-aid-donors-to-the-philippines-2015-89091 |archive-date=November 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sigit |last2=Lo |first2=Shyntia |last3=Setiawan |first3=Theofilus Jose |title=Japanese Official Development Assistance as International Bribery for the Comfort Woman Issue in the Philippines |journal=Thai Journal of East Asian Studies |date=June 30, 2022 |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=89–95 |url=https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/easttu/article/view/251724/172850 |access-date=May 16, 2023 |publisher=Institute of East Asian Studies, [[Thammasat University]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207191123/https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/easttu/article/view/251724/172850 |archive-date=December 7, 2022}}</ref> although some tension exists because of [[World War II]], much animosity has faded.<ref name="Dolan-1991" />{{rp|loc={{plain link|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927161330/http://countrystudies.us/philippines/93.htm|name=93}}}} Historical and cultural ties continue to affect [[Philippines–Spain relations|relations with Spain]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Santos |first=Matikas |date=September 15, 2014 |title=PH-Spain bilateral relations in a nutshell |newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |url=http://globalnation.inquirer.net/111122/ph-spain-bilateral-relations-in-a-nutshell-2 |access-date=July 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917001506/http://globalnation.inquirer.net/111122/ph-spain-bilateral-relations-in-a-nutshell-2 |archive-date=September 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Madrid Embassy commemorates PHL-Spain relations' anniversary |url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/11/17/madrid-embassy-commemorates-phl-spain-relations-anniversary/ |access-date=May 10, 2023 |work=[[BusinessMirror]] |date=November 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116165209/https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/11/17/madrid-embassy-commemorates-phl-spain-relations-anniversary/ |archive-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref> Relations with Middle Eastern countries are shaped by the high number of Filipinos working in those countries,<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Berlinger |first1=Joshua |last2=Sharma |first2=Akanksha |date=January 7, 2020 |title=The Philippines is particularly vulnerable to any Middle Eastern conflict. Here's why |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/07/asia/philippines-middle-east-tensions-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107090831/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/07/asia/philippines-middle-east-tensions-intl-hnk/index.html |archive-date=January 7, 2020}}</ref> and by issues related to the Muslim minority in the Philippines;<ref>{{cite journal |last=Sevilla |first=Henelito A. Jr. |date=June 2011 |title=Middle East Security Issues and Implications for the Philippines |journal=Indian Journal of Asian Affairs |volume=24 |issue=1/2 |issn=0970-6402 |pages=49–61 |jstor=41950511}}</ref> concerns have been raised about domestic abuse and war affecting the approximately 2.5&nbsp;million overseas Filipino workers in the region.<ref>{{cite report |last1=Jabar |first1=Melvin |last2=Jesperson |first2=Sasha |title=Analysis of labour migrants' vulnerabilities to trafficking in persons and labour exploitation in the Philippines |series=Trafficking in persons and labour exploitation: A political economy analysis |date=March 2024 |publisher=[[ODI (think tank)|ODI]] |location=London, England |pages=37–38, 46, 51 |url=https://odi.cdn.ngo/media/documents/Analysis_of_labour_migrants_vulnerabilities_to_TIP_and_labour_exploitation_in__rVyk7Ub.pdf |access-date=August 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330213250/https://odi.cdn.ngo/media/documents/Analysis_of_labour_migrants_vulnerabilities_to_TIP_and_labour_exploitation_in__rVyk7Ub.pdf |archive-date=March 30, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Tarrazona |first=Noel T. |date=October 17, 2018 |title=For skilled Filipinos, Middle East remains a career destination |work=[[Al Arabiya]] |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2018/10/17/For-skilled-Filipinos-Middle-East-continues-to-remain-a-career-destination |access-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002122006/https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2018/10/17/For-skilled-Filipinos-Middle-East-continues-to-remain-a-career-destination |archive-date=October 2, 2020}}</ref>

The Philippines [[Spratly Islands dispute|has claims]] in the [[Spratly Islands]] which overlap with claims by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.<ref>{{cite report |last1=Joyner |first1=Christopher C. |editor-last1=Singh |editor-first1=Ranjeet K. |title=Investigating Confidence-Building Measures in the Asia-Pacific Region |date=1999 |publisher=[[Stimson Center]] |page=56 |chapter=The Spratly Islands Dispute in the South China Sea: Problems, Policies, and Prospects for Diplomatic Accommodation |author-link1=Christopher C. Joyner |jstor=resrep10935.8 |jstor-access=free}}</ref> The largest of [[Philippines and the Spratly Islands|its controlled islands]] is [[Thitu Island]], which contains the [[Kalayaan, Palawan|Philippines' smallest town]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Pitlo |first=Lucio Blanco III |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Philippines bolsters posture in South China Sea after navy ship docks at new Spratly Islands port |work=[[South China Morning Post]] |url=https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3086253/philippines-bolsters-posture-south-china-sea-after-navy-ship |access-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527030224/https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3086253/philippines-bolsters-posture-south-china-sea-after-navy-ship |archive-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref> The 2012 [[Scarborough Shoal standoff]], after China seized the shoal from the Philippines, led to an [[Philippines v. China|international arbitration case]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=De Castro |first1=Renato Cruz |title=The Limits of Intergovernmentalism: The Philippines' Changing Strategy in the South China Sea Dispute and Its Impact on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) |journal=[[Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs]] |date=December 2020 |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=338–346 |doi=10.1177/1868103420935562 |publisher=[[SAGE Publishing]] |doi-access=free}}</ref> which the Philippines eventually won;<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|date=July 12, 2016 |title=PH wins maritime arbitration case vs. China |work=[[CNN Philippines]] |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/07/12/PH-wins-maritime-arbitration-case-vs-China.html |access-date=November 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713171115/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/07/12/PH-wins-maritime-arbitration-case-vs-China.html |archive-date=July 13, 2016}}</ref> China rejected the result,<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Phillips |first1=Tom |last2=Holmes |first2=Oliver |last3=Bowcott |first3=Owen |date=July 12, 2016 |title=Beijing rejects tribunal's ruling in South China Sea case |language=en |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/12/philippines-wins-south-china-sea-case-against-china |access-date=November 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712120247/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/12/philippines-wins-south-china-sea-case-against-china |archive-date=July 12, 2016}}</ref> and made the shoal a prominent symbol of the broader dispute.<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Carpio |first=Antonio T. |author-link=Antonio Carpio |date=July 23, 2020 |title=Scarborough Shoal – a redline |newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |url=https://opinion.inquirer.net/132035/scarborough-shoal-a-redline |access-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724111626/https://opinion.inquirer.net/132035/scarborough-shoal-a-redline |archive-date=July 24, 2020}}</ref>

China has rejected new Philippine maritime laws aimed at strengthening sovereignty in the South China Sea, stating they infringe on Chinese territorial claims and vowing to defend its interests in contested areas.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Cao |first1=Ella |date=10 November 2024 |title=China opposes new Philippine maritime law, vows to protect South China Sea 'sovereignty' |newspaper=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-opposes-new-philippine-maritime-law-vows-protect-south-china-sea-2024-11-10/ |access-date=11 November 2024}}</ref>