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US-Philippines military bases deal seen as reaction to China’s moves in South China Sea over past decade
- Agreement gives US forces access to four new bases in the Southeast Asian nation
- US defence secretary says China is continuing to advance its ‘illegitimate claims’
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The United States is boosting its military presence across Asia, with more troops and assets to be deployed to counter Beijing.
Observers said the moves would affect China’s defensive posture within the first island chain, which runs from Japan to the Malay peninsula and includes Taiwan, and offer US allies in the region more certainty when resisting Beijing.
In a breakthrough on Thursday, the US and the Philippines agreed that the US would have access to four new bases in the Southeast Asian nation, adding to the five the US could already use to train servicemen and position equipment under a bilateral defence cooperation pact signed in 2014.
The locations of the four bases have not been specified, but previous reports suggested the Biden administration would like to have at least two in the north of Luzon Island, roughly 800km (500 miles) south of Taiwan.
The agreement was reached during a visit to the Philippines by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
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