ManilaTimesAFP-Feb 3
THE United States and the Philippines announced a deal Thursday to give US troops access to four more local military bases. The agreement to expand cooperation in “strategic areas of the country” was made during a visit by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin 3rd. It comes as the countries seek to repair ties that were fractured in recent years — previous president Rodrigo Duterte favored China over the US, but the new administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been keen to reverse that.
Beijing’s growing assertiveness on Taiwan and its building of bases in the disputed South China Sea have also given fresh impetus to Washington and Manila to strengthen their partnership. Given its proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, the Philippines’ cooperation would be key in the event of a conflict with China, which a four-star US Air Force general has warned could happen as early as 2025. ‘The Philippines and the United States are proud to announce their plans to accelerate the full implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the agreement to designate four new Agreed Locations in strategic areas of the country,” defense officials said in a joint statement. Talks were ongoing for a potential fifth base, a senior Philippine official said. The two countries have a decades-old security alliance that includes a mutual defense treaty and the 2014 EDCA pact, which allows US troops to rotate through five Philippine bases, including those near disputed waters. It also allows the US military to store defense equipment and supplies on those bases. The EDCA stalled under Duterte, but Marcos has sought to accelerate its implementation. Under its expansion, the United States will have access to at least nine military bases. Read more at:
https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/02/03/news/ph-gives-us-more-access-to-bases/1876944
