China's aggressiveness in the Indo-Pacific is rooted in long-standing strategic ambitions that have nothing to do with any U.S. policy, the Philippines' top defense official said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/09/asia-pacific/politics/philippine-defense-chief-us-china/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #china #philippines #southchinasea #us #asean