US and Chinese Foreign Aid to the Philippines: Influence on Philippine Policy on the South China Sea | RISE Research

This paper investigates how foreign aid from the United States and China influences Philippine policy toward the South China Sea dispute. It contrasts the two donors' approaches: Chinese infrastructure financing tends to secure short-term diplomatic engagement, whereas US institutional and security assistance fosters longer-term strategic cooperation. By analysing aid flows alongside shifts in Philippine foreign policy across administrations, the study explores how economic and strategic assistance translates into political alignment on maritime sovereignty questions. It situates the Philippines as a case study in great-power competition, showing how a smaller state navigates competing donor interests while balancing its own national security priorities in a contested maritime region.