In a move that brings the Philippines and the US closer together amid a scenario of tension in the Indo-Pacific, especially due to threats from China against Taiwan, an island that the Asian giant sees as a rebellious province, Manila granted Washington this Thursday (2) greater access to its military bases.
Now, the Americans will expand cooperation with the archipelago in four more facilities, bringing the total to nine, in the largest US armed presence in the country in about 30 years. The deal does not foresee a permanent presence or new bases commanded only by Washington.
The locations of the bases were not officially disclosed, but, according to Carlito Galvez, Secretary of Defense of the Philippines, Joe Biden’s government asked to use facilities in Luzon, the largest island in the country and close to Taiwan, and in Palawan, in the southwest. , near the disputed Spratly Islands.
“The alliance helps defend an open and free Indo-Pacific,” said Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense. “We discussed concrete actions to address destabilizing activities in Philippine waters and remain committed to strengthening our capabilities to withstand an attack.”
The unnamed reference is China, which quickly reacted to the increased American presence in its neighbour. For Mao Ning, spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, the movement “raises tensions and endangers regional stability”. “Countries in the region must remain vigilant and avoid being used by the United States.”
The joint decision further increases tension in the Indo-Pacific, an area that has been gaining strength in the geopolitical chess due to the prospect of becoming the scene of possible future conflicts, especially after the visit, in August last year, of the then president of the Chamber from the USA, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan.
The move also marks a diplomatic victory for the US against China, which is trying to increase its influence over Pacific island nations. Beijing, however, saw the proposal for a regional security agreement with precisely these countries, generally small but strategic, fail in 2022.
The intention of the US cooperation with the Philippines is no secret, and the US Secretary of Defense himself made it clear in his speech that the rapprochement takes place in the context of China’s “illegitimate claims” in the western waters of the archipelago. Since May 2021, the two Asian countries have exchanged accusations regarding military maneuvers and blockades in the disputed area.
This Thursday’s announcement, an extension of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed in 2014, also shows a greater disposition towards the US of the Philippine leader, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., elected last year, compared to his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.
The now ex-Philippine president was against the agreements and defended better relations with the Chinese, which cooled the link with the US, although at an insufficient level to overturn the agreements. There is also some internal resistance to the presence of the ally, who colonized the archipelago from the end of the 19th century until 1946.
The winds, however, have changed. In November, after the election of Ferdinand Marcos, known as BongBong and son of the dictator of the same name, US Vice President Kamala Harris was in the Asian country, and the current president has already met Biden twice.
The Western priority in the region is to strengthen capacity to support Taiwan. This week, a leaked document revealed predictions by General Mike Minihan, head of the US Air Mobility Command, that the country will go to war with China two years from now – the assessment was echoed by Republican Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Chamber.
In the text, Minihan draws attention to the 2024 presidential elections both on the autonomous island and in the US, a calendar that “will offer Xi [Jinping, lÃder chinês] a distracted America”.
Whether the forecast is right or wrong, the situation in the region appears to be getting worse as diplomatic and military tensions escalate. On Wednesday, incumbent US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy responded to a question about a possible visit to Taipei by saying China cannot tell him where to go.
Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of NATO, the Western military alliance led by the US, on a visit to East Asian countries, warned the Chinese. “Any attempt by China to attempt to change the status quo through the use of military force will have consequences for NATO allies as well.”
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