11/04/2023
On Monday, April 10, 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, assured China on Monday that military bases, which are accessible to the United States, won't be utilized in any offensive action. He emphasized that the agreement with Washington will enhance his country's defense.
Last week, China's foreign ministry said that the United States strengthening military deployment in the Philippines would only result in more tension in the area after Manila permitted Washington to access more of its bases. "China's reaction was not surprising," Marcos told reporters. "The Philippines will not allow the bases to be used in any offensive action," he added.
The Philippines identified four more of its bases that the United States will access, almost doubling the number included in its Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The base locations are significant, with three facing north towards Taiwan and one near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has built artificial islands equipped with runways and missile systems.
EDCA highlights the Philippines' strategic importance to the former colonial ruler, the United States, as it comes at a time of growing concern over China's conduct in the South China Sea and tension over self-ruled Taiwan. It was signed in 2014, allowing U.S. access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment, and the building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage, and military housing, but it is not a permanent presence.
"If no one is attacking us, they need not worry because we will not fight them," Marcos said. "What we are doing is we are strengthening our territorial defense, the defense of the Republic."
Marcos' remarks also come ahead of the largest-ever joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States, which will feature live-fire exercises at sea for the first time.
https://youtu.be/O0j46G1Rmh8
