Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/MANILA: The United States (US) and the Philippines are expected to announce a deal on Thursday that could give US troops access to another four army bases in the Southeast Asian country as the longtime allies seek to deter China’s assertiveness in the region.
The agreement to expand cooperation would be announced during a visit by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a senior Philippine official said, as the two nations seek to repair the fractured relations.
United States Access to Military Bases
China’s growing assertiveness on the Straits of Taiwan and its claims over the south China sea has given new impetus to the US and the Philippines to strengthen their ties.
Given its proximity to Manila and its surrounding waters, the Philippines’ cooperation could be essential for the US in case of a tussle with China, which a four-star United States air force general warned could take place as early as 2025.
The Philippine official said, “there’s been an agreement to designate four new additional sites.” The official said that talks were ongoing for the potential fifth base.
The two nations have a decades-old security alliance that includes a defense treaty and since the 2014 pact, known by the acronym EDCA, which allows United States troops to rotate through five Philippine bases, including those near disputed waters.
It also allows the US army to store defense equipment and supply weapons on those bases.
EDCA stalled under former president Rodrigo Duterte, who favoured China over his country’s ex-colonial master. Still, the new administration of President Ferdinand Marcos has been keen to accelerate its implementation.
