Four new US bases have been opened on the territory of the Philippines, in strategic areas in the Asian region. In fact, two of them face the South China Sea and Taiwan, now a possible area of conflict between the Americans and the Chinese. The signal the US wants to give is clear: it wants to negotiate with China from a position of strength.
Washington’s interest
The location of the four zones available to US troops is part of the Advanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which allows the Americans to maintain military equipment and troops in the archipelago. Further impetus to the 2014 agreement between Washington and Manila was the decision on February 1 by Washington and Manila to open new bases to strengthen the military alliance between the two countries.
As stated by the US Department of Defense, the four bases will not be controlled by Washington, but will remain under Philippine sovereignty. The reality is that the additional positions (in addition to the five locations where US forces are already present) will allow US troops to have more room to move in an area where China is flexing its muscles. With this move, the Pentagon aims to fill a gap in the containment arc around China, which currently stretches from bases in South Korea and Japan in the north to Australia in the south.
High voltage in the South China Sea
In fact, Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea. And a UN-sponsored decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague broke down the “nine lines”, a territorial limitation on the grounds that allowed Beijing to claim over 90% in 2016. the waters through which more than 5 trillion dollars of goods and raw materials pass each year. According to the arbitration tribunal, the Nine dash line has no legal basis and violates the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Despite diplomatic attempts, tensions are high between Manila and Beijing. The Philippine Coast Guard recently accused a Chinese patrol vessel of aiming “military-grade laser light” at the crew of one of its ships in an area in the South China Sea. The incident allegedly occurred on February 6, about 20 kilometers from the Second Thomas Shallow, part of the disputed Spratly atoll, where the Philippine armed forces maintain a fixed garrison claimed by China.
Of course, Beijing denied any responsibility, stating that the laser was not for military purposes, but was used to defend “safety of navigation.” The incident occurred a month after Marcos Jr. flew to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the two leaders agreed to manage their maritime differences through diplomacy and dialogue.
From pro-Chinese to anti-Chinese: Philippines’ strategy change
Against the background of the tension between Manila and Beijing, the US policy of controlling China is intensifying. And this is happening thanks to the presidential change in Manila. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Since taking office last July (the son of ex-Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was deposed in 1986) he has been redefining US-Philippines relations by not only turning it around, but also surviving the tide. – More Chinese than his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. It’s a turning point, fueled by Beijing’s desire to take a more open position on China’s actions in disputed areas of the South China Sea, where the coast guard of the Philippines frequently threatens the Philippines-claimed islands with attacks.
The Philippines’ change of strategy came at a time when US-China relations were at a particularly low point. Despite the denials, Manila clearly demonstrates its willingness to side with the United States in its fight against China to establish hegemony in the region. Marcos Jr. For him, it’s a movement that expresses and defends national interests from China’s assertiveness after Duterte’s six-year presidency, marked by an ambiguous balance against Beijing.
After being a starry and striped colony until 1946, the Philippines is a historic ally of the United States in East Asia. The change in pace was noted in 1992 after the fall of the Marcos regime and largely receded parts of the Philippines. Clark Field 15,000 US forces at two large bases in Subic Bay.
The gradual redeployment of American troops, which will be deployed on a rotational basis to various military sites in the Philippines, caused concern in Beijing, but a sigh of relief in Washington.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
