© REUTERS
The Philippines on Monday announced the locations of four additional military bases accessible to the US military. One of those sites is near the disputed South China Sea, and the other is not far from Taiwan. The four locations are considered “suitable and mutually beneficial,” it said in an official statement.
Source: Belgium
In early February, following US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to the Philippines, the two allies announced the 2014 EDCA Cooperation Agreement (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) with four new bases already located in “strategic regions”. Expanded. To date, the agreement has allowed U.S. forces access to five Philippine military bases where U.S. troops are rotated and U.S. military equipment is stored.
The location of the new sites was not known until recently. Now it appears as three bases in the north of the country, including a naval base and an airport in Cagayan province and a military base in nearby Isabela province. The naval base in Santa Ana is about 400 kilometers from Taiwan. The fourth site is located on Balabag Island near the South China Sea.
According to the French news agency AFP, negotiations are underway for a tenth additional military base.
The U.S. is seeking to restore ties with Manila that have soured somewhat in recent years. Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte turned his attention to China rather than the United States, but current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s government wants to focus on strengthening its partnership with Washington.
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