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China in Panic Mode as Philippines Expands US’ Access to Military Bases

One of the new bases is located near the disputed South China Sea, while another lies close to the self-governing island of Taiwan.

April 5, 2023
China in Panic Mode as Philippines Expands US’ Access to Military Bases
									    
IMAGE SOURCE: US Department of Defence
US Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III at Camp Navarro, Philippines, on 1 February 2023.

China on Tuesday warned the Philippines that it was jeopardising regional peace and security by allowing the US military wider access to its bases.

Chinese Concerns

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said during her regular press conference on Tuesday that the development had made it “very clear that the US has been increasing its military deployment in the region driven by a zero-sum mentality in pursuit of selfish interests.”

She added that such a move “would only lead to more tensions and less peace and stability in the region.” Mao called on regional countries “to think about what is right for the region and mutually beneficial” in order to “make a choice that serves regional peace and stability as well as their own interests.”


Philippines-US Cooperation

The move comes after the Philippines announced on Monday that it would allow the US military access to four additional military bases, which are deemed to be “suitable and mutually beneficial,” according to the Presidential Communications Office in Manila.

One of the new bases is located near the disputed South China Sea, while another lies close to the self-governing island of Taiwan.

Under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), the US already had access to five bases in the country. Then, in February, the two countries announced that they were expanding the number of bases from five to nine to facilitate combined training, military exercises, and interoperability between the two forces.

A senior US defence official said at the time that the Philippines was trying to “uphold its rights” and that the US was only “trying to help [Philippines] do that in the same way” as it helps its “other partners around the region.”

“That’s what this is really about, not about simply countering China,” the official had stressed.