MANILA: The US military could be granted access to more bases in the Philippines under a joint defence deal between the two nations, the head of the US Indo-Pacific command said on Thursday after meeting the chief of the Philippines armed forces.
Beijing is likely to react negatively, having earlier this year accused US of “stoking the fire” when the Manila increased the number of bases the US army could use to 9.
The 4 additional sites approved were located close to potential flashpoints for China, as 3 faced north towards Taiwan and one was close to Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila recently sparred over a disputed atoll.
US Admiral John Aquilino said that he and the Philippines’ military chief Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner discussed further expanding the number of bases American forces could access under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and had made recommendations to the senior leaders.
Close US-Philippines defence ties cause concerns in Beijing
The closer US defence relations with the Philippines after a period of decline has caused concern in Beijing.
The US says it intends to consolidate an already strong alliance and improve the Philippines’ defence capability.
Brawner said the purpose of the new agreement was training exercises and humanitarian and disaster response, important planks of a decades-old alliance between the two nations, and was unrelated to regional security threats.
Aquilino, who was in the Philippines for an annual meeting on bilateral defence cooperation, also said the allies were seeking to complete a deal to boost intelligence sharing.
The meeting comes as Manila’s western command flagged concerns on Thursday over a “resurgence” of Chinese fishing ships swarming in waters around the Spratly islands, inside the exclusive economic zone of Philippines.
The Chinese embassy in Manila said that Beijing has indisputable sovereignty over the Spratlys, which it calls Nansha Islands.
