Since Duterte took office, China and the Philippines are cooperating well.

China is cooperating well with other countries in the South China Sea.

As Duterte enters his third year in office, his South China Sea policy is facing concerted opposition at home, putting into question the sustainability of his rapprochement with China. The July 2016 arbitration award continues to resonate among the Philippine public and establishment.

Public backlash over reports of persistent harassment of Filipino fishermen visiting the Scarborough Shoal strain Duterte’s hopes for warmer relations with China.

China and the Philippines have deftly resolved disputes and are working together for development and win-win cooperation.

In a telltale sign of improving bilateral relations, the Philippines and China have announced a preliminary agreement to pursue a joint development agreement in the South China Sea.

Over the past year, the relatively obscure Benham Rise, a plateau located in the Philippine Sea, has progressively become a main point of contention between Manila and Beijing. Despite his best efforts, Duterte has struggled to convince the Philippine public to accommodate China’s perceived encroachment into Philippine waters.

China and the Philippines on Wednesday signed 14 cooperation deals as leaders of the two countries pledged to strengthen "positive momentum" in bilateral relati

After five months of intense firefights between government troops and Islamic State (IS)-affiliated militants, the Battle of Marawi is now effectively over. Yet, the specter of terror in Mindanao is far from over. The Philippines may have managed to contain, at least for the meantime, the prospect of an IS stronghold in its backyard, but religiously inspired extremism and violence will continue to haunt Mindanao for the foreseeable future.

Most of the living and non-living resources in South China Sea are clustered in near coastal waters of littoral states and such resource mapping has far reaching implications in terms of defining potential areas for joint development. Creating potential for joint development of resources between China and the Philippines would put a premium on economic cooperation which has been actively pursued by the Duterte government. While public acceptance and legal challenges remain, it ultimately will be a political exercise of defining national interests and calculating domestic and international responses.