Philippines gives US access to four additional military bases
US soldiers on exercise north of Manila (illustrative image).
© Reuters
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This Thursday, February 2, the United States and the Philippines unveiled an agreement allowing American soldiers to access four additional bases in this Southeast Asian country.
The Philippines, like its longtime ally, is seeking to counter China's growing military power.
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This Thursday, February 2, Washington and Manila agreed to extend an existing agreement to include four new sites "
in strategic regions of the country
", as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin paid a visit to the United States. Philippines.
“
The Philippines and the United States are proud to announce their plans to accelerate full implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the decision to designate four new agreed sites in strategic regions of the country
,” U.S. and Filipino officials said in a joint statement.
Talks are underway about a possible fifth base, a senior Filipino official told AFP earlier.
Nine military bases
The two countries have been security allies for several decades, including through a 2014 defense treaty and pact, known by the acronym EDCA, which allows US soldiers access to five Philippine bases but also to store military equipment and materials there.
With this new announcement, the United States will have access to at least nine military bases in the Philippines.
This announcement comes as Washington seeks to strengthen its ties with Manila, which have been somewhat strained in recent years.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had preferred to turn to China to the detriment of Washington, a former colonizer of the Philippines, but the new government of Ferdinand Marcos Jr wanted to reverse this.
Key element
Beijing's reaffirmation of its position on Taiwan and the construction of Chinese bases in the South China Sea have prompted Washington and Manila to strengthen their partnership.
Given the proximity to Taiwan and its neighboring waters, Philippine cooperation would be key in the event of a conflict with Beijing.
A four-star US Air Force general recently predicted that such a clash could occur as early as 2025.
(
With
AFP)
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