The American - Chinese Rivalry is changing the fates of countries everywhere in Asia, but particularly in Southeast Asia, which is the continent's fastest growing region and by virtue of its geography, also its most strategic region.
No country is more strategically geographically placed than the homeland of the Filipinos, which by virtue of its position across the South China Sea is well placed to serve either as a complacent ally that looks the other way or as a potential staging ground against China's potential Taiwanese annexation ambitions.
Both America and China see the state as a potential ally, but it is America that in recent years has made the greatest inroads.
Why is this happening?
Can China prevent this?
And what does it mean for a changing Asia?