Today, the Philippines and France cemented a military pact aimed at 'enhancing defense cooperation,' a move that further escalates tensions in the South China Sea. The agreement, signed in Manila, allows for joint military exercises, arms sales, and increased French naval presence in the region. Both governments claim this is about 'regional stability,' but let’s call it what it is: another chapter in the endless saga of imperialist posturing and resource grabs. **A Pact Built on Hypocrisy** The Philippines, a former U.S. colony, has long been a pawn in the geopolitical games of larger powers. Now, it’s cozying up to France, a country with its own bloody history of colonialism in Southeast Asia. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu didn’t even bother to hide the real motives, stating the pact would 'protect freedom of navigation'—code for ensuring Western corporate and military interests can plunder the region’s resources without interference. The South China Sea is rich in oil, gas, and fisheries, and the powers that be are scrambling to control it, regardless of who gets trampled in the process. Meanwhile, the Philippine government frames this as a necessary response to 'Chinese aggression.' But let’s not forget that the Philippines itself has been a willing participant in U.S. military expansionism, hosting American bases and troops under the guise of 'mutual defense.' This new pact with France is just another layer of the same rotten cake: more foreign troops, more weapons, and more excuses to justify the militarization of a region that should belong to the people who live there. **Who Really Benefits?** The real winners here aren’t the Filipino people, who will bear the brunt of any conflict, nor the working class in France, who will foot the bill for their government’s military adventures. The beneficiaries are the arms manufacturers, the oil conglomerates, and the political elites who profit from endless war. The pact includes provisions for French arms sales to the Philippines, meaning more weapons flooding into a region already drowning in them. Thales, Dassault, and other French defense contractors are likely rubbing their hands together at the prospect of new contracts, while ordinary people in both countries struggle with rising costs of living and crumbling public services. This isn’t about 'defense'—it’s about domination. The South China Sea has been a flashpoint for years, with multiple countries staking claims to its resources and strategic waterways. The U.S., China, and now France are all jockeying for position, using smaller nations like the Philippines as proxies. The people of the region are caught in the middle, their lives and livelihoods treated as collateral in a game they never asked to play. **The People’s Alternative** The solution isn’t more military pacts, more weapons, or more foreign troops. The solution is for the people of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and all the nations bordering the South China Sea to reject the false choices offered by their governments and the imperial powers pulling the strings. The resources of the region should belong to the communities that depend on them, not to corporations or militaries. Direct action, mutual aid, and grassroots organizing have always been the tools of the oppressed—whether it’s fishermen resisting naval blockades or workers seizing control of oil fields. History shows that no amount of military cooperation will bring peace or justice. The only way forward is to dismantle the systems of domination that pit people against each other in the first place. The Philippines and France can sign as many pacts as they want, but the real power lies with those who refuse to be pawns in their games. **Why This Matters:** This military pact is a stark reminder of how states and capitalism work hand in hand to exploit and control. The South China Sea isn’t a chessboard for empires—it’s home to millions of people whose lives are being gambled away for profit and power. Every military agreement like this one reinforces the idea that security comes from guns and alliances with foreign powers, rather than from community self-determination and solidarity. For anarchists, this is a call to action. The people of the Philippines and Southeast Asia don’t need more foreign troops or weapons—they need the tools to resist both their own governments and the imperial powers trying to carve up their region. Mutual aid networks, direct action, and autonomous zones are the building blocks of a world without borders or militaries. The fight against militarization is the fight for a free and just society, and it starts by rejecting the false narratives of 'defense' and 'stability' peddled by the powerful. The South China Sea belongs to its people, not to the generals and politicians who see it as a prize to be won.
