“…However, this way of addressing this question ends up offering amputated portrays of secondary state polices. For instance, some countries in East Asia are embracing this dual approach, on one hand, they employ institutional binding with the US in order to balance China by security concerns, on another hand, and they seek to accommodate China looking mostly to economic benefits Paik, 2017: Smith, 2009;Fatton, 2018;2004 Ikenberry). Yet, if South Korea, Vietnam, and Japan fall in this category, the case of the Philippines, after international arbitration, presents a notable variation.…”