President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines informed China on Monday that U.S.-accessible military bases in his country would not be used for offensive purposes. He emphasized that the arrangement with Washington was meant to strengthen the Philippines’ defenses.
After Manila granted Washington access to more Philippine bases, the Chinese foreign ministry warned last week that the increased U.S. military presence in the Philippines would increase regional tensions.
Over the past week, the Philippines has named four additional bases that the United States will have access to under its Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The 2014 EDCA was signed to allow for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment, and construction of facilities such as runways, fuel storage, and military housing on Philippine bases. However, this presence is not intended to be permanent.
China has constructed artificial islands with runways and missile systems in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Three of these U.S.-accessible military bases face Taiwan, while one is located near the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
