China says US strengthening military deployment in the Philippines will lead to more tension

BEIJING – China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the United States has been strengthening its military deployment in the Philippines, and it would only lead to more tension and less peace and stability in the region.

It is driven by a zero-sum mentality, ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing when asked about the Philippines allowing the US access to more military bases.

The Philippines announced on Monday the locations of

four additional military bases to be used by US troops,

with one site near the

hotly disputed South China Sea

and another not far from Taiwan.

The 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (Edca) between Manila and Washington gave US forces access to five bases in the Philippines. It was expanded to nine bases, but the locations of the four additional bases were withheld while the government consulted local officials.

The new sites are a naval base and airport in Cagayan province and an army camp in the neighbouring province of Isabela, the statement said.

The naval base in Cagayan province’s Santa Ana is about 400km from Taiwan.

Another site will be on Balabac Island, off the southern tip of Palawan Island, near the South China Sea.

Edca allows US troops to rotate through the bases and also store defence equipment and supplies there.

The pact had stalled under former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who favoured China over the country’s former colonial master.

But President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who succeeded Mr Duterte in June 2022, has adopted a more US-friendly foreign policy and has sought to accelerate the implementation of Edca.

Beijing has been critical of the agreement, which its embassy in the Philippines said recently was part of “US efforts to encircle and contain China through its military alliance with this country”. REUTERS