The Philippines has agreed to grant US forces access to four more of the country’s military bases as Washington and its oldest Asian ally boost efforts to jointly push back against aggression from China.Philippine secretary of national defence Carlito Galvez and US defence secretary Lloyd Austin have, however, refused to identify the bases, in a sign that Manila’s desire to keep relations with Beijing stable could still obstruct the plans.
“This is not about permanent basing, but it is a big deal, it is a really big deal,” Austin said, thanking Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr for approving US military access to the sites under the two countries’ enhanced defence co-operation agreement (EDCA). “This is an opportunity to increase our effectiveness, to increase interoperability.”
Since the Philippine Senate blocked the extension of a bilateral military bases agreement in 1991, the US has not had bases of its own in the country. The 2014 EDCA allowed US forces to pre-position equipment and rotate forces in Philippine military bases, but Marcos’s predecessor Rodrigo Duterte suspended implementation to pursue closer ties with China.