The U.S. will nearly double its military presence in the Philippines under an agreement announced Thursday, part of an effort to counter China’s threats to Taiwan and growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Philippine government is giving the U.S. temporary access to four more of its domestic military bases, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Philippines Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez said in Manila.
The U.S. will now have access to nine bases across the Philippines.
Though new sites were not officially disclosed, multiple news reports said the U.S. had asked for sites in Cagayan, Palawan, Isabela and Zambales.
The expansion is part of an American armed forces realignment along the Pacific Rim. Working with allies, the U.S. will use sites in Japan, Australia, Guam and the Philippines as quick-response bases against possible Chinese attacks.
Despite the Russian war against Ukraine, China “presents America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge,” the October 2022 National Security Strategy report says.
China says it wants to bring independent Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary. In August, China sent more than 70 fighter jets and seven ships to Taiwan in a one-day military exercise, including multiple launches of ballistic missiles into international waters. It has also built up and militarized islands in the South China Sea.
President Joe Biden has said the U.S. will defend Taiwan if China attacks.
Where is the US military expanding?
Philippines
The U.S. has access to five Philippine bases:
- Cesar Basa Air Base and Fort Magsaysay, both near Manila.
- Antonio Bautista Air Base in the east, near Palawan.
- Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in the central Cebu Province.
- Lumbia Air Field in the south.
The four new bases and the five existing sites are part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, a 2014 pact between the U.S. and the Philippines as a wedge against China and a means to provide the Philippines with American aid after natural disasters.
The Philippines were a U.S. territory from 1898 to 1946. Two former American bases, Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Base, were turned over to the Philippine government in 1992.
Japan/Okinawa
The U.S. Marine Corps will transform an existing unit into a quick-reaction force on the Japanese island of Okinawa by 2025. QRFs are units able to respond on short notice.
The shore-based Okinawa QRF will be the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment with up to 2,000 personnel and offensive and defensive weaponry, including anti-ship missiles.
Okinawa was the site of the last major island battle of World War II.
Guam
The island of Guam is the westernmost territory of the U.S. and is of strategic importance in Indo-Pacific conflicts. It’s home to Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam, both of which could be vulnerable to a Chinese missile attack. About 10,000 troops are stationed there.
In January, the Marine Corps activated Camp Blaz, a new base with about 100 Marines, in northwest Guam. The base, still under construction, eventually will house 5,000 personnel, some of them transferred from Okinawa.
As part of the 2022 National Defense Strategy, the base will be used as a hub to deter attacks against the U.S. and its allies.
Australia
Australia could be a key player in defending Taiwan. The U.S. plans to step up its rotational presence of land, sea and air forces in Australia, including bombers and fighter jets.
Rotational units are those that operate in an area for a specified time and then return to headquarters after being replaced by others.
The U.S. also plans to base as many as six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers in northern Australia.
What has China been doing?
The Chinese government views independent Taiwan, which broke away from the mainland in 1949, as a rogue state and has increased political and military pressure on the island, threatening reunification by force. Some U.S. officials fear China could invade.
China also is increasing its political and economic influence in the area, offering aid and seeking diplomatic relations with Pacific Island nations and encouraging them to cut ties with Taiwan. It has built several islands in the South China Sea and armed them with missile systems and military equipment.
Chinese forces in the Pacific Islands would give it greater control over the region and place military firepower closer to U.S. and Australian territory.
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SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Associated Press; Department of Defense; U.S. Naval Institute
