China’s bid to influence the Philippines heats up
Its tactics move from sea to land
They came bearing gifts—cash for poverty-relief schemes and shiny motorbikes for police officers. But the Chinese ingratiating themselves with Philippine officials were also mapping military bases, snapping coastguard vessels and surveying power plants. Since January the Philippines has arrested more than a dozen Chinese nationals and alleged Filipino accomplices on charges of espionage. The arrests point to operations that blur the line between influence-peddling and spying.
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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Mapped, monitored and manipulated”
From the July 5th 2025 edition
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