The Philippine-U.S. Alliance in the Indo-Pacific: Implications for Taiwan

This talk examines the Philippines’ grand military strategy, the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC), which enables the country to develop the capabilities needed for regional deterrence and stability. Its alliances, especially with the US, are central to this strategy. This positions both countries to respond to a Taiwan contingency. Speaker: Renato Cruz De Castro is a Distinguished Professor of International Studies at De La Salle University, Manila, where he holds the Dr. Aurelio Calderon Chair in Philippines-American Relations. Over his career, he has established himself as one of Southeast Asia’s leading voices on U.S. alliances, Indo-Pacific geopolitics, and Philippine defense strategy. In 2025, he became a Taiwan Research Fellow at the Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University, bringing his expertise to cross-strait security dynamics and their regional implications. Professor De Castro has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in leading international journals. In 2019, the Philippine Political Science Association recognized him as the most prolific Filipino political scientist in scholarly publications. The 2022 AD Scientific Index named him first among Filipino political scientists in both publications and citations. Beyond academic research, Professor De Castro actively shapes policy discourse. He also teaches at the National Defense College of the Philippines, the Foreign Service Institute, and specialized defense institutions, advising senior military and civilian officials. He has held visiting research fellowships at Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies and the Japan Institute of International Affairs, and served as a U.S.-ASEAN Fulbright Initiative Researcher based at the East-West Center in Washington. In December 2024, the AFP Chief of Staff awarded him the Sandigan Stakeholder Award, recognizing his extensive research and contributions to advancing regional security knowledge. A Fulbright Scholar with a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina, Professor De Castro combines rigorous scholarship with deep engagement in strategic policy debates affecting the region. Commentator: Vice Admiral (Ret.) Shoshana S. Chatfield served as the U.S. Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, and previously as President of the U.S. Naval War College, where she led the U.S. Navy’s flagship institution for strategic thought and professional military education.

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