The United States is increasing its military presence in the Philippines, both countries announced Thursday, adding
US access
to
four more bases
and affirming the Southeast Asian nation's role as a key strategic partner for Washington in the event of
a
conflict with China over Taiwan.
The deal was announced as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in the Philippines for a trip that began Tuesday.
The agreement would allow Washington to
position military equipment and rotate its troops
through nine military bases controlled by the Philippines.
It would be the
first time in 30 years
that the United States has had such a large military presence in the country.
Austin's visit comes amid growing fears in the region about a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the democratic island China claims as its territory.
Filipino activists protest the presence of US troops in the country.
Photo: Reuters
Among the five treaty allies the United States has in Asia, the Philippines is among
the closest geographically
to Taiwan, with
its northernmost island of Itbayat
just 93 miles away.
US officials say gaining access to the Philippines' northernmost islands
is crucial
to countering China should it attack Taiwan.
The Philippines is the United States' oldest treaty ally in Asia.
Washington is shoring up its presence in the country after relations deteriorated during the six-year term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, which ended last year.
During his tenure, Duterte frequently criticized Washington and complained that the United States, the country's former colonial ruler, had created defense treaties that weighed heavily in favor of the Americans.
He said that US troops took away their modern weapons after conducting military exercises.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin III in Quezon, Metro Manila.
Photo: Reuters
US officials grew concerned when Duterte threatened to scrap the Visiting Forces Agreement, a long-standing defense pact that allows for large-scale joint military exercises between the two allies.
He also threatened to ignore the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, the agreement that allows the United States to station military equipment and troops in the Philippines.
The change with Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Since taking office in June, President
Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
has sought to revive
his country's relationship with the United States, surprising many foreign policy experts.
During the election campaign, Marcos had indicated that he would try
to forge closer ties with China
, a hallmark of Duterte's tenure.
Marcos, the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, has since said that he "can't see the Philippines in the future without having the United States as a partner."
Under the plan, at least
16,000 Filipino and US soldiers
will
train together
in the northern province of Ilocos Norte, the Marcos family stronghold, later this year.
Three decades ago, the US presence in the Philippines was a sore point among many Filipinos.
The military bases held by the Americans for nearly a century
were considered to be a holdover from American colonialism.
In 1992, the United States had to close its last US base in the Philippines following street protests and a decision by the Philippine Senate.
In 1992, the United States had to close its last US base in the Philippines after street protests.
Photo: AP
But when China
began its military incursions
into the South China Sea, public opinion about the US presence in the Philippines changed.
The Philippines now hopes to enlist US support to fend
off Beijing's continued military buildup in the South China Sea
.
Manila and Beijing have been locked in a longstanding disagreement over
disputed waters
that both sides claim as their own.
Among some quarters, the planned increase in the US military presence in the Philippines
remains contentious.
Among some quarters, the planned increase in the US military presence in the Philippines remains contentious Photo: Reuters
In a statement, Renato Reyes, secretary general of the nationalist political activist group Bayan, said Filipinos "should not allow our country to be used as a staging ground for any US military intervention in the region."
“Allowing the United States to use our facilities
will drag us into this conflict,
which is not aligned with our national interests,” Reyes said.
As part of the agreement announced Thursday, the Americans also agreed to
increase their humanitarian assistance
in the Philippines after any natural disaster.
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