April 5, 2023
China warned on Tuesday that Washington was “endangering regional peace and stability” with a new deal expanding American troops’ access to bases in the Philippines.
“Out of self-interest, the US maintains a zero-sum mentality and continues to strengthen its military deployment in the region,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, adding the “result will inevitably be increased military tension and endangering regional peace and stability”.
On Monday, the Philippines identified four more of its military bases that the United States will get access to, almost doubling the number included in a defence agreement that seeks to advance a decades-old alliance between them.
The expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) underlines the Philippines’ strategic importance to the former colonial ruler the United States, coming at a time of growing concern over China’s conduct in the South China Sea and tension over self-ruled Taiwan.
The EDCA, signed in 2014 under US President Barack Obama, allows US access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but it is not a permanent presence.
The sites named on Monday are the Camilo Osias navy base in Sta Ana and Lal-lo airport, both in Cagayan province, and Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela province and the island of Balabac off Palawan.
The locations are significant, with Isabela and Cagayan facing north towards Taiwan, while Palawan is near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has built artificial islands equipped with runways and missile systems.
Defence chief Carlito Galvez called the sites “very strategic” and stressed the Philippines had a responsibility to the international community in the South China Sea.
“That’s a trade route… where more or less $3 trillion trade passes (annually),” he said.
“Our responsibility to collectively secure that is huge.”