United States and Philippines Complete Arc Around China

Four more military facilities in the Philippines have been made available to the US, giving it a crucial piece of ground from which to keep an eye on the Chinese in the South China Sea and the area around Taiwan.

Background on the South China Sea Dispute

The deal fills a gap in the American alliance that stretches from Australia in the south to South Korea and Japan in the north.

The Philippines has been the missing piece because it borders two of the most hazardous potential flashpoints—Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The pact is important because it partially undoes the US's more than 30-year-old departure from its former colony.

Gregory B. Poling, head of the Southeast Asia project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, says there is no scenario in the South China Sea that does not entail access to the Philippines.

"The US is not interested in establishing permanent bases. Locations, not bases, are the key."

According to a statement from Washington, the US already had restricted access to five sites under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA); the new additions and expanded access will "allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate-related disasters in the Philippines, as well as respond to other shared challenges," probably a subliminal allusion to countering China in the region.

United States and Philippines Agree to Complete Arc Around China

The ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea have been a source of tension between China and its neighboring countries for years. Recently, the United States and the Philippines announced an agreement to complete the arc around China, a move that could have significant implications for the South China Sea dispute. In this blog post, we will provide an overview of the agreement and what it means for the region.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. of the Philippines met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday in Manila.

The four stations' locations have not been disclosed by the US, but three of them may be on Luzon, an island off the coast of the Philippines that, if China is eliminated, is the only significant piece of territory close to Taiwan.

Announcing that "American operations aggravate regional tension and jeopardize regional peace and stability," China denounced the agreement.

According to a statement from its embassy, "the United States continues to escalate its military posture in this region out of self-interest and a zero-sum game mentality."

The US is now looking for access to regions where "light and flexible" operations involving supplies and surveillance may be carried out as needed, rather than locations where sizable numbers of troops will be stationed.

In other words, this is far from the 1980s, when the Philippines was home to 15,000 US troops and two of the biggest US military bases in Asia, Clark Field, and nearby Subic Bay.

In 1991, the Philippine government officially declared its resignation. Returning the previous colonial rulers would boost democracy and independence as the Filipinos had recently overthrown the loathed tyranny of Ferdinand Marcos.

China remained a military underdog despite the fact that the Cold War had ended and the Vietnam War had been resolved. The Americans, or at least the majority of them, went home in 1992.

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More significantly, China is pounding on the door of the Philippines rather than remaining a military underdog. Beijing has redrawn the map of the South China Sea, or the West Philippine Sea, as Manila prefers to refer to it. Manila watched in horror but was unable to stop it. Since 2014, China has built eleven artificial island bases, one of which is located in Mischief Reef, deep inside the Philippine EEZ.

The University of the Philippines professor of political science Herman Kraft claimed that up until that moment, relations between Manila and Beijing had been largely trouble-free.

"We observed a policy of "live and let live" in the South China Sea. Nonetheless, they made an attempt to seize control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012. Then, starting in 2014, the islands were constructed. The relationship was transformed by China's territorial grabs."

Jose Cuisia Jr., a former Philippine ambassador to the United States, stated that "we have very limited competence against the Chinese menace."

He asserts that Beijing has continuously broken its promises not to militarise new sites in the South China Sea.

"These features have been militarized by the Chinese, increasing the risk in our region. The only country that can stop them is the United States. It is not something the Philippines can do on its own."

Yet, this time around, Olongapo and Angeles City's red-light districts won't be overrun with tens of thousands of US marines and airmen.

Walking around Olongapo, commonly known as Olongapo City in the Philippines, are two US Navy shore patrol officers. For sailors from the United States Navy stationed at the close-by United States Naval Station Subic Bay, Olongapo was a well-liked vacation spot.

The legacy of abuse and assault by the US Army in the Philippines continues to be a touchy subject. An estimated 15,000 children were left with their Filipino mothers when their American fathers went home.

The left-leaning New Patriotic Alliance's secretary general, Renato Reyes, claims that there has been inequality in their relationship for a very long time. "The cost to society has been borne by the Philippines. There have been cases of rape, child abuse, and toxic waste in the past."

Left-leaning organizations in the Philippines are fiercely opposed to American return.

Washington is now demanding access to multiple new outposts, some facing the South China Sea and others facing north towards Taiwan, even though there will be fewer troops than previously asked. Unofficial reports claim that Cagayan, Zambales, Palawan, and Isabela are options.

The first one is oriented towards Taiwan, the second towards Scarborough Shoal, and the third towards the Spratly Islands. Existing Filipino bases will house new US facilities. US troops will deploy in irregular, small-batch deployments.

Mr. Poling claims that the objective is to prevent further Chinese territorial expansion in the South China Sea while also giving the Americans a place to observe Chinese military activities near Taiwan.

He claims that the Philippines "had little hope of deterring China without this relationship." "From India, it bought BrahMos missiles. The US wants to use cruise missiles called Tomahawks. Chinese battleships can be held together by them."

The Philippines might act as a "rear access area" for American military operations or even a safe haven for refugees as tensions over Taiwan rise.

Between 150,000 and 200,000 Filipinos live in Taiwan, according to Mr. Poling.

What are the implications of the United States and Philippines' Complete Arc Around China?

The completion of the United States and Philippines' arc around China has significant implications for the region. First and foremost, it represents a potential challenge to China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. China has claimed sovereignty over much of the area, including islands and reefs that are also claimed by other countries, including the Philippines. The U.S. and Philippines' increased military presence in the region makes it more difficult for China to assert its claims, and could potentially lead to a military conflict if tensions continue to escalate.