The intensifying conflict among imperialist powers is escalating rapidly. As part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, the US is strengthening its military presence in countries surrounding China, aiming to curb China’s military expansion and political influence while preparing for potential direct or indirect inter-imperialist conflict.
The US and its allies are deliberately escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea, ramping up naval deployments, conducting patrols, and taking actions that serve to justify further militarization and create pretexts for armed confrontation. These provocations not only threaten the sovereignty and security of nations but also risk plunging the Asia-Pacific region into a catastrophic inter-imperialist war.
In March of this year, the South Korean and US militaries launched their annual Freedom Shield command post exercise, marking their first major combined training under Donald Trump’s second term. Hours later, North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry swiftly warned that the training risked triggering “physical conflict” on the Korean Peninsula, calling the drills an “aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal.”
Looking ahead, between April 21 and May 9, 2025, around 14,000 troops from the US, Philippines, Japan, and Australia will participate in the Balikatan war games. Prior to this, the US and the Philippines conducted a joint Salaknib and Balikatan 2025 (SABAK 2025) exercises, with military activities planned in the strategically significant parts of the country. The first phase of Salaknib ran from March 24 to April 11, 2025, and involved approximately 3,000 AFP soldiers and 2,000 US Army Pacific troops.
In a bid to advance its military agenda, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Philippines last month, collaborating with the Marcos regime to transform the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) into an auxiliary force of the US military in the event of an all-out war with China.
Meanwhile, France is also supporting the US Indo-Pacific strategy through its overseas territories like Kanaky (New Caledonia) and Réunion Island. This year, the French Carrier Strike Group led the multinational war games La Perouse 55 in Southeast Asia and participated in Exercise Pacific Steller 2025 in the Philippine Sea alongside US, Japanese, and Filipino forces.
In a notable development last year, the US deployed the USS Preble, a laser weapon-equipped destroyer, to Japan. This ship, outfitted with Lockheed Martin’s High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system, was stationed at the Yokosuka naval base south of Tokyo. The deployment coincided with the US Navy’s Navigation Plan 2024, which, for the first time, acknowledged the possibility of conflict with China by 2027.
In the Philippines, the US also deployed the long-range Typhon missile system to northern Luzon, capable of striking targets up to 1,200 miles (1,900 km) away, including major cities in China. This deployment marks the first time since the Cold War that the US has stationed a land-based missile launcher with such an extended range outside its own territory.
In response, China’s military conducted exercises around Taiwan earlier this month, issuing a “stern warning” following Hegseth’s visit to Asia. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported that 71 Chinese military aircraft and 13 PLA navy vessels were detected near Taiwan, including a group of warships led by China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, in the West Pacific.
Last year, Chinese naval warships were also spotted in the Balabac Strait near Palawan, where a new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site has been established, further underscoring the rising tensions in the region. Meanwhile, the US military continues to expand its presence and preposition supplies at several EDCA sites, operating under the pretext of Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) programs. These programs also provide cover for fascist counterinsurgency operations targeting peasants and indigenous communities.
The competition for global dominance has become a looming reality, driving the escalation of militarization, economic sanctions, and proxy wars with devastating consequences for the masses. As inter-imperialist contradictions deepen, it is the people who will bear the brunt, suffering the compounded impacts of war, economic instability, and social unrest.
At the same time, this imperialist crisis and growing inter-imperialist conflict are generating favorable conditions for resistance. The widespread discontent with governments that prioritize war over the welfare of their own people has become undeniable. These war-mongering regimes, which funnel resources into destructive conflicts while neglecting their populations, are increasingly facing vocal and resolute opposition. Thus, it is crucial for individuals, communities, organizations, and movements to unite in resistance—demanding a just system that places people’s needs over profit and war.
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