About Philippines, the cause of the deterioration in the relationship between Manila and Washington was the reluctance of the Obama administration to protect the Philippines against the aggressive foreign policy of China in the southern Chinese Sea. To clarify, I think Obama was right, escalation was not worth it, but Manila was understandably frustrated, so they have been trying a different path, balancing between China and the US.

In my opinion, this geopolitical change will be the prelude to a wider tendency, as China's influence in the region grows at the expense of America. Many analysts seem to believe that diplomatic alliances are set in stone, but, as cooperation with China becomes more profitable, there's little reason for her neighboring countries to remain attached to an alliance that provides no benefits. Even Vietnam, Japan and South Korea are not exempt from this rule, although, in their case, we are not talking about the immediate future.