![]() In an interview, the Philippine ambassador to the United States, Jose Romualdez, said that Subic Bay - once home to the largest American military base outside of the United States - is “one of the sites that are being considered” for future US military access. Manila could grant the United States access to additional sites across the Philippines in the coming months, despite anger from China. has adopted the most muscular foreign policy approach that the Philippines has seen in close to a decade. Driven by worry about China’s aggression, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Although he and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, spoke at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, their sharp exchange did little to ease tensions. The recent incursion of a Chinese surveillance balloon, and the ensuing diplomatic tit for tat, prompted the last-minute cancellation of a visit to China by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Philippines’ strategy shift comes as US-Chinese relations are at a particularly low point. The United States and the Philippines have not disclosed the four new sites that the Americans will gain access to, but three are facing Taiwan and one is bordering the South China Sea, according to an official with knowledge of the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to share negotiation details. ![]() The Philippines’ northernmost inhabited island, Itbayat, is just 93 miles away from Taiwan. Marcos has drawn the two countries even closer, making the Philippines the linchpin of the Biden administration’s strategy to counter China with a stronger military presence in the region. His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, embraced China and distanced the Philippines from the United States until the final months of his term. tURaTO9I23įrom the standpoint of the Americans, Marcos’ approach has been a welcome change, if not without some debate within the Philippines. apparently had sharp words for Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian when he summoned the envoy after China used a military-grade laser against the Philippine Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea. On Tuesday, Marcos summoned the Chinese ambassador after a Chinese coast guard vessel directed a military-grade laser at a Philippine ship, the first time in years that a president had personally lodged such a protest. But he has also shared concerns about a possible Chinese invasion of the self-ruled island of Taiwan, saying that “it’s very hard to imagine a scenario where the Philippines will not somehow get involved.” Marcos’ decisions have largely been driven by the territorial dispute that the Philippines has with Beijing over the South China Sea. ![]() There is speculation that Subic Bay, a crown jewel among the many naval sites in Philippines, will also welcome US soldiers in the coming months. On the same day, Washington said it would restart its joint patrols of the South China Sea with the Philippines, which had been suspended by Manila for six years. Earlier this month, Marcos agreed to grant the US military access to four new defense sites in the Philippines. ![]()
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