Philippines names 4 new camps for U.S. forces

On Monday, April 3, 2023, the government of the Philippines declared four new military bases for U.S. troops to be permanently stationed at. These bases include some opposite Taiwan and are in direct defiance of China’s objections.

The U.S. Department of Defense also released a statement indicating that these additional sites will “strengthen the interoperability of the U.S. and Philippine Armed Forces and allow us to respond more seamlessly together to address a range of shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.”

The Philippines claims the decision to permit American military presence helps it respond to natural disasters and is in the Philippines’ national interest. Chinese officials, however, are angry that these sites would provide American troops with a staging area close to Taiwan, the independent island under Beijing’s claim.

The new locations include a Philippine Navy base in Santa Ana and an international airport in Lal-lo in the northern Cagayan region. Philippine officials have also identified the other two locations as a naval camp on Balabac Island in the western province of Palawan and the northern Isabela province, both thousands of kilometers closer to China’s self-declared “nine-dash line” of sovereignty.

The disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea involve territorial claims with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, with Washington making no claims to the strategic waters. Nevertheless, the U.S. has been sending warships, fighter jets, and surveillance planes on patrols to advance freedom of navigation.

The Philippines Constitution prohibits the foreign forces’ permanent encampment as well as their participation in regional hostilities. Under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between Philippines and the United States, U.S. troops can be stationed for an indefinite period of time in designated Philippine camps, except for nuclear weapons.

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