For the past one hundred years, the Republic of the Philippines has been in the sphere of influence of the United States of America. This is due to the Spanish-American War, when the United States took control of the last overseas possessions of Spain's. This was back in the Age of Imperialism, with new European powers such as the German Empire trying to gain as much land as possible.
Now, these days, the Republic of the Philippines is locked in a dispute with China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia over the Spratly Islands, located in the South China Sea. This dispute has lead to what seems to be an arms race, as the Philippines has spent nearly a billion dollars since 2010, in upgrading its armed forces.
There is a chance that China and the Philippines might engage in war, tensions that might bring the United States into it. An arms race was what preceded the First World War, along with makings of complex alliances. The United States are firm allies of the Philippines, as a Mutual Defense Treaty as been in place since 1951. However, if a conflict does develop, there is no telling what will happen, and what the United States will do.
