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WORLD NEWS Friday 3 February 2023
With Philippine pact, U.S. steps up efforts to counter China

By JIM GOMEZ and na and Taiwan will be high and endangers regional that matter the Asia-Pacific cal combat. The countries’
ELLEN KNICKMEYER on the agenda next week peace and stability.” will always have to involve Enhanced Defense Coop-
Associated Press when U.S. Secretary of State U.S. and Philippine officials the United States simply be- eration Agreement allows
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Antony Blinken is expected also said that “substantial” cause those partnerships visiting American forces to
The Philippines said Thurs- to meet with China’s new progress has been made are so strong,” Marcos told stay indefinitely in rotating
day it was allowing U.S. batches in barracks and
forces to broaden their other buildings they con-
footprint in the Southeast struct within designated
Asian nation, the latest Philippine camps with their
Biden administration move defense equipment, ex-
bolstering an arc of military cept nuclear weapons.
alliances in the Indo-Pacific Philippine military and de-
to better counter China, fense officials said in No-
including in any future con- vember the U.S. had sought
frontation over Taiwan. access to five more local
Thursday’s agreement, military camps mostly in the
which gives U.S. forces ac- northern Philippine region
cess to four more military of Luzon.
camps, was announced Two of the camps where
during a visit by U.S. Sec- the U.S. wanted to gain ac-
retary of Defense Lloyd cess are in Cagayan prov-
Austin. He has led efforts to ince near Luzon island’s
strengthen America’s secu- northern tip, across a sea
rity alliances in Asia in the border from Taiwan, the
face of China’s increasing Taiwan Strait and southern
assertiveness toward Tai- China. Other camps that
wan and territorial disputes would host American forc-
in the South China Sea. es are along the country’s
“It’s a big deal,” Austin said western coast, including in
at a news conference, the provinces of Palawan
while noting the agree- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., center, talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd James and Zambales, which face
ment did not mean the Austin III, third from left, during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines the disputed South China
re-establishment of perma- on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Sea.
nent American bases in the Associated Press “The Philippine-US alliance
Philippines. has stood the test of time
In a televised news con- foreign minister, Qin Gang. in projects at five Philippine Austin. and remains ironclad,” the
ference with his Philippine China claims the self-ruled military bases, where U.S. Galvez said there was a allies said in their statement.
counterpart, Carlito Galvez island as its own territory to military personnel were ear- need for more consulta- “We look forward to the
Jr., Austin gave assuranc- be taken by force if neces- lier granted access by Filipi- tions, including with local opportunities these new
es of U.S. military support sary and Beijing has sent no officials. Construction of officials in provinces where sites will create to expand
and said the 1951 Mutual warships, bombers, fighter American facilities at those visiting U.S. forces would es- our cooperation together.”
Defense Treaty, which ob- jets and support aircraft bases has been underway tablish a presence in Philip- Austin is the latest high-
ligates the U.S. and the into airspace near Taiwan for years but has been pine military camps. ranking American official to
Philippines to help defend on a near-daily basis, spark- hampered by unspecified A few dozen leftist activities travel to the Philippines af-
each other in major con- ing concerns of a potential local issues. held a noisy protest Thurs- ter Vice President Kamala
flicts, “applies to armed blockade or military action. China and the Philippines, day and set a mock U.S. Harris visited in November,
attacks on either of our The announcement from along with Vietnam, Ma- flag ablaze outside the in a sign of warming ties af-
armed forces, public ves- the Philippines follows a laysia, Brunei and Taiwan, main military camp where ter a strained period under
sels or aircraft anywhere in U.S.-Japan declaration have been locked in in- Austin held talks with his Marcos’s predecessor, Ro-
the South China Sea.” on Jan. 11 that those two creasingly tense territorial Philippine counterpart. drigo Duterte.
“We discussed concrete countries’ militaries would disputes over the busy and While the two countries Duterte had nurtured cozy
actions to address desta- be updating and strength- resource-rich South China are allies, leftist groups and ties with China and Russia
bilizing activities in the wa- ening their defense pos- Sea. Washington lays no nationalists have resented and at one point threat-
ters,” Austin said. ture, as well as other earlier claims to the strategic wa- and often protested bois- ened to sever relations with
“This is part of our effort to pledges of greater military ters but has deployed its terously against the U.S. mil- Washington, eject Ameri-
modernize our alliance, cooperation from Indo-Pa- warships and fighter and itary presence in this former can forces and abrogate
and these efforts are es- cific partners stretching as surveillance aircraft for pa- American colony. the Visiting Forces Agree-
pecially important as the far south as Australia. trols that it says promote The country used to host ment that allows thousands
People’s Republic of China Chinese Foreign Ministry freedom of navigation and two of the largest U.S. Navy of American forces to
continues to advance its spokeswomen Mao Ning the rule of law but have in- and Air Force bases outside come each year for large-
illegitimate claims in the responded Thursday by ac- furiated Beijing. the American mainland. scale combat exercises.
West Philippine Sea.” cusing the United States of Austin thanked President The bases were shut down “I am confident that we will
American leaders have pursuing “its selfish agen- Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in the early 1990s after the continue to work together
long sought to reorient U.S. da.” whom he briefly met in Philippine Senate rejected to defend our shared val-
foreign policy to better re- “The U.S. has adhered to a Manila, for allowing the an extension, but Ameri- ues of freedom, democ-
flect the rise of China as a Cold War zero-sum mental- U.S. military to broaden its can forces later returned racy and human dignity,”
significant military and eco- ity and strengthened mili- presence in the Philippines, for large-scale combat ex- Austin said.
nomic competitor, as well tary deployment in the re- Washington’s oldest treaty ercises with Filipino troops. “As you heard me say
as to better deal with the gion,” Mao told reporters at ally in Asia. The Philippine Constitution before, the United States
lasting threat from North a daily briefing. “I have always said that it prohibits the permanent and the Philippines are
Korea. “This is an act that esca- seems to me that the future basing of foreign troops more than just allies. We’re
The tensions between Chi- lates tensions in the region of the Philippines and for and their involvement in lo- family.”q