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In 2023, the U.S. and the Philippines introduced a historic pact that will open up a number of bases on the island archipelago nation to American forces for the primary time in many years.
Whereas the settlement doesn’t enable the U.S. to completely station troops in Philippine territory, a number of of the newly accessible bases abut the South China Sea to the north.
Plans are already underway to fortify the newly accessible bases.
The approaching yr will seemingly see Washington and Manila develop their cooperation and prepared their respective navies to counter China’s assertions of possession over components of the South China Sea.
Outdated salts shouldn’t count on something just like the Navy’s former and large presence at Subic Bay, which resulted in 1992, however the brand new settlement marks a big change cast largely out of maritime pursuits.
China and the Philippines, together with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have been locked in more and more tense territorial disputes over the busy and resource-rich South China Sea. Washington lays no territorial claims to the strategically necessary waters however has deployed its warships and plane for patrols that it says promote freedom of navigation and the rule of legislation. In flip, that navy presence has infuriated Beijing.
On the announcement of the brand new deal in February, Austin thanked Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whom he briefly met in Manila, for permitting the U.S. navy to broaden its presence within the Philippines — Washington’s oldest treaty ally in Asia.
“I’ve at all times mentioned that it appears to me that the way forward for the Philippines and, for that matter, the Asia-Pacific will at all times should contain the US, just because these partnerships are so sturdy,” Marcos instructed Austin.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
Geoff is the editor of Navy Occasions, however he nonetheless loves writing tales. He lined Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter on the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all types of suggestions at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
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