MANILA: Following a meeting with the head of the Philippine armed forces on Thursday( Sep 14 ), the chief of US Indo-Pacific command said that the US military could be given access to more bases in the Philippines as part of an agreement for joint defense between the two nations.
After accusing Washington of” stoking the fire” earlier this year when the Philippines increased the number of bag the US government could use to nine, China is likely to respond negatively.
Three of the four more places were near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing recently fought over a disputed island, and one of them was close to possible flashpoints for China.
According to US Admiral John Aquilino, he and Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner, the military commander of the Philippines, discussed increasing the number of bases US forces could access under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement( EDCA ), and they had” recommendations to our senior leaders.”
Priority has been raised in China about the closer US defense ties with the Philippines after a period of collapse.
The United States claims it plans to strengthen an now formidable alliance and enhance the Philippines’ defense capabilities.
According to Brawner, the EDCA was related to threats to local protection and was intended to train participants in humanitarian and disaster response, which are important pillars of a decades-old alliance between the two nations.