The Philippines at the heart of the lusts between China and the United States
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (L) and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (R) on April 22, 2023 in Manila. AP
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1 min
China and the Philippines are trying to strengthen ties, which have been battered in recent years by a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is visiting Manila on Saturday, April 22, at a time when Washington is also drawing closer to its traditional ally.
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It's unlikely to be a coincidence of timing: Qin Gang walks the red carpet in Manila and tries to ease tensions over the islands the two countries dispute in the South China Sea, just days before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. flies to Washington. And this at a time when 18,000 Filipino and American troops are conducting the largest military maneuvers in their history in the region. This is the latest evidence that the war of influence between China and the United States is also being waged in the Philippines.
Close to the coast of Taiwan, the country enjoys a strategic position in the event of conflict. This is one of the reasons why the Americans recently struck an agreement with Manila to use four Philippine military bases, including one near Taiwan. The Americans and Filipinos also agreed to restart joint patrols in the South China Sea.
A rapprochement that has everything to worry Beijing, which claims these waters. It is not uncommon for Chinese ships to attack Filipino fishing boats with lasers and water cannons.
► To listen also Philippines: back to the pro-Washington box
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Read on on the same topics:
- Philippines
- China
- United States
- Ferdinand Marcos Jr.