The Philippines offers a distinctive case for examining China’s influence in Southeast Asia. While China has become a key economic partner, territorial disputes continue to dominate bilateral relations. This makes the Philippines a critical test for Beijing’s strategic intentions of securing a peaceful periphery for shared prosperity, while countering Western efforts to contain its rise. Building on Filipino scholarship, this chapter underscores how the Philippine domestic context creates significant obstacles to translating Chinese influence into mutually beneficial outcomes. Institutions, perceptions, national identity, and persistent governance problems have consistently blunted the positive effects of China’s outreach. By tracing key moments and patterns across five decades of official ties, the chapter demonstrates how these domestic factors repeatedly condition China’s limited success. It offers insights into enduring local constraints that define the scope of China’s expanding influence in the Philippines, and what this means for China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia.