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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    US military poised to secure new access to key Philippine bases

    The U.S. military is poised to secure expanded access to key bases in the Philippines on the heels of a significant revamp of U.S. force posture in Japan — developments that reflect the allies' concern with an increasingly fraught security environment in the region and a desire to deepen alliances with the United States, according to U.S. and Philippine officials.


    While negotiations are still ongoing, an announcement is expected as soon as this week when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets in Manila with his counterpart, Carlito Galvez, acting secretary of National Defense, and then with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.


    The expansion involves access to Philippine military bases, likely including two on the northern island of Luzon — which, analysts said, could give U.S. forces a strategic position from which to mount operations in the event of a conflict in Taiwan or the South China Sea. They will also facilitate cooperation on a range of security concerns, including more rapid responses to natural disasters and climate-related events.


    Extensive work has been done over the last few months in the Philippines to assess and evaluate various sites, and at least two of them have been pinned down, said a State Department official, who like other officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the deliberations.


    A Philippine defense official said an agreement for the additional sites had "more or less" been made but would be formalized when the two defense secretaries meet. Aides from the two offices were continuing to iron out key details in recent days, and at least two of the new sites are in Luzon, he said.


    U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed the matter with his counterpart Eduardo Año earlier this month as part of a White House effort to step up cooperation with Indo-Pacific allies, a U.S. official said.


    The increased military cooperation with the United States "bodes well for our defense posture," said the Philippine official. But, he emphasized, the Philippines' push to bolster its security "is not aimed at any particular country."


    Marcos "realizes the dynamics of the region at the moment and that the Philippines really needs to step up," said the official, adding that the president has been closely monitoring developments in the Taiwan Strait and in the West Philippine Sea. "We've already got incursions from multiple countries and the tensions are still expected to rise."


    While expanded base access is alone not the security linchpin for the region, "it's a pretty big deal," said Gregory Poling, director of the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "This is significant not just in terms of what it means for a Taiwan or South China Sea contingency. This is a signal that the Philippines are all in on modernizing the alliance, and that they understand that a modern alliance means they have responsibilities, too."

    The Philippines, once a U.S. territory, has been a treaty ally since 1951. It hosted a massive U.S. presence after the end of World War II, including the two of the largest American military facilities overseas — an arrangement that ended in 1991 when the Philippine Senate, asserting the country's sovereignty was being violated, forced the Americans to relinquish all U.S. bases to the Philippines.


    The mutual defense arrangement was further stressed under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, arguably the most pro-Beijing and anti-American president ever of the Philippines. Duterte threatened to end the Visiting Forces Agreement, which gave legal protections to U.S. military in the Philippines. But after Austin visited in the summer of 2021, and in the face of increasing Chinese aggression in Philippine waters, Duterte withdrew the threat.


    The election of Marcos last year continued a warming trend — President Joe Biden was the first foreign leader to call to congratulate him. But the deepening of the alliance, officials say, is rooted in a recognition that the region is becoming a more dangerous place. In November, for instance, the Chinese Coast Guard forcibly seized Chinese rocket debris being towed by the Philippine Navy near one of the Philippine-held islands. In December, Chinese militia ships were spotted swarming in the West Philippine Sea. And just last week Chinese vessels drove Philippine fishermen away from one of the reefs at which the Philippines has exclusive fishing rights.


    China is the Philippines' largest trading partner and the Marcos family has historical ties to China: Marcos visited China in 1974 with his father, then-president Ferdinand E. Marcos, and his mother, Imelda Marcos, and met Chairman Mao Zedong. Nonetheless, Marcos has made clear he sees the gathering threat. Asked at the Davos Economic Forum in January whether the South China Sea issue keeps him up at night, he responded, "It keeps you up at night. It keeps you up in the day. It keeps you up most of the time."


    He also said that "in terms of cross-strait tensions, we are at the very front line," a reference to the fact that the Philippines' northernmost islands are only some 200 miles from Taiwan and the likeliest place that refugees would flee in a conflict.


    Marcos said that "whenever these tensions increase," involving Chinese and American vessels, "we are watching as bystanders" and if something goes wrong, "we are going to suffer."


    But, he noted, the connection between the United States and the Philippines has "remained strong," and that the only way to remain strong and relevant "is to evolve."


    Marcos said, "We have security arrangements with the United States, and that has come to the forefront … because of the increased tensions in our part of the world."


    Marcos made a trip to Beijing in early January in which, he said, he raised South China Sea concerns. Those include China's Navy and Coast Guard denying Filipino fishermen access to their traditional fishing grounds as well as the buildup of artificial islands in Philippine waters. Though he came away with more than a dozen agreements involving tourism, trade and e-commerce, his Davos remarks later in the month make clear the security issue prevails.


    "The world has changed," he said. "Now we are living within the context of all of these other forces that are coming out, especially around the region, around South China Sea."


    The United States currently has access to four air force bases and one army base in the Philippines under a 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. EDCA allows the U.S. military to operate in agreed locations on a rotational basis. None of the five bases are in Luzon's north.


    In November, Vice President Kamala Harris became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the Philippine province of Palawan, a thin but roughly 200 mile-long island abutting the contested South China Sea. At the time of her visit, a senior administration official noted that the two allies had identified new locations "to deepen our work together."


    That work would extend to security cooperation exercises, combined training activities, and allow the United States to more rapidly provide humanitarian relief in natural disasters, the official said. EDCA also provides economic benefits, the official said, noting that the United States has invested more than $82 million in existing bases, with the majority of contracts supporting the projects going to Philippine companies.


    The expected EDCA expansion will follow an announcement earlier this month that the U.S. Marine Corps will be revamping a unit in Okinawa to be better able to fight in austere, remote islands by 2025. Under the plan, a new Marine Littoral Regiment would be equipped with advanced capabilities, such as anti-ship missiles that could be fired at Chinese ships in the event of a Taiwan conflict.


    For over a decade the Pentagon has sought to disperse its presence across the island chains of the Western Pacific to make it harder for China to concentrate its attacks on U.S. bases. But this also helps countries like the Philippines ensure that China does not charge right through their archipelago to attack Taiwan or Japan, said Michael J. Green, chief executive of the China Studies Center at the University of Sydney.


    "The Philippines are not necessarily signing on to U.S. war plans per se," said Green, who handled Asia issues at the White House under President George W. Bush. "But it's a big step forward that will be encouraging to the United States and allies like Japan, and a signal to China of the costs of coercion."


    US military poised to secure new access to key Philippine bases | Stars and Stripes

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat
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    Reopen Subic! The place is a shell of what it once was.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    Reopen Subic! The place is a shell of what it once was.
    It's quite pleasant the way it is.

  4. #4
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    Hopefully China will take note that it can't keep seizing land that isn't theirs.







    (Enter: 'but America....')

  5. #5
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    Magsaysay and Barrio Bretton are a shadow of their former selves. A few of us here remember.

  6. #6
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    Reopen Subic! The place is a shell of what it once was.
    A different sort of shell than it once was but allowing US Navy back would not detract but add to local economy. Likely will happen as part of the US/PI ongoing discussions.

    "The U.S. military will likely return to Subic Bay 30 years after relinquishing what was once their largest military base in Asia due to concerns over China's increasing maritime assertiveness, a top official of the local body overseeing the free port zone said.

    The former U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, which faces the South China Sea, has become a bustling free port that employs about 150,000 locals, administered by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority."

    U.S. military poised to return to Subic Bay, counter China's presence
    "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect,"

  7. #7
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    The return of Shit River crossings?

    If you know, you know.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    The return of Shit River crossings?

    If you know, you know.
    Doesn't sound like it is worth knowing

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    Reopen Subic! The place is a shell of what it once was.
    A return of Marilyn's bar would be good

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    The Blue Rock floating bar would probably sink if it hasn't already.

    US military poised to secure new access to key Philippine bases-26171596_2275371882488659_2340741813902417603_o-jpg

  11. #11
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    The deep water sheltered Harbour at Subic would be perfect for a USN Carrier group. Might even bring some life back to Olongapo too.

  12. #12
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    Personally I think a return of the US base in olongapo/ subic would be a fantastic thing.economicly for the locals and to counter the nasty Chinese. I've seen the flow on effect of the USD before the volcano went of and fucked everything up at there was millions of $ flowing throught all those base towns. I also saw what it looked like covered in lahar after pinatubo . The party was over

  13. #13
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    The nasty Korean tourists have mainly taken over Angeles now, and most of the landlords are Chinese.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    most of the landlords are Chinese.
    Even better for the US to return, and I'm sure you have data to back that up . . . after all: 'News' and all that.

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Even better for the US to return, and I'm sure you have data to back that up . . . after all: 'News' and all that.
    Yeah.... you might be waiting for that one.

  16. #16
    In Uranus
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Yeah.... you might be waiting for that one.
    Speaking out the side of his mouth as usual.


  17. #17
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    The US forces will probably end up renting facilities they once owned. The primacy for land and facilities will remain with the PI government as landlords.
    Likewise the facilities at Clark.

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Switch View Post
    The US forces will probably end up renting facilities they once owned. The primacy for land and facilities will remain with the PI government as landlords.
    Likewise the facilities at Clark.
    Clark is an international airport these days.

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by Switch View Post
    The US forces will probably end up renting facilities they once owned. The primacy for land and facilities will remain with the PI government as landlords.
    Likewise the facilities at Clark.
    They Leased all the bases they had of the Philippine government.but unfortunately the base agreement was coming up for renewal. The Philippines govt of the time demanded all sorts of ridiculous new agreements and it went back and forth for a long time. Then pinatubo went of. So the Americans wisely decided to fuck of right quick. Bear in mind that the American military were the largest employer of Filipinos in the whole country, employing even more than San Miguel Corp. Plus it was estimated that $ USD 1 MILLION used to pass through Angeles city alone. Everyone got a slice of that. The bar owner the bar girl, the trike driver etc etc. They didn't own anything and will be renting again. I used to love the place and spent a long time there

  20. #20
    Thailand Expat Storekeeper's Avatar
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    Probably went to Subic about 30 times between 1979-1984. It was like a second home port. Straight up … went there the first time as a 17 year old kid and knew right away I was gonna “Stay Navy”. Wasn’t no way in heck I was going to get out and go back to Ohio! Subic, Yokosuka, Singapore, Perth, Mombasa, Pattaya, Hong Kong and Pusan … all great party ports back in the day.

    And Subic was the pearl. The best daggum base facilities I’ve ever seen. Don’t think I’ve ever experienced a better music scene off base than there in Olongapo. Dudes there could do Phil Collins songs better than he does them himself! And the rock bands were just off the chart awesome.

    If we do go back there I hope they re-start the program they had that let several Filipinos join the US Navy every month. That and the local girls marrying Sailor boys was a nice little immigrant pathway to the states.

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Storekeeper View Post
    Dudes there could do Phil Collins songs better than he does them himself!
    ...quite a low bar...

  22. #22
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Can never have enough military installations the world over.
    Ain't it grand.

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HuangLao View Post
    Can never have enough military installations the world over.
    Ain't it grand.
    Someone needs to stop the chinkies nicking shit off everyone else.

  24. #24
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    ...The BBC has an article today declaring the China containment arc is now complete: Japan and SK in the north, Australia in the south and the Phils as the largest land mass closest to Taiwan (bar China)...the Wolf Warriors may be heading back to the den...

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    31-01-2023, 09:24 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    most of the landlords are Chinese.



    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    I'm sure you have data to back that up . . . after all: 'News' and all that.
    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Yeah.... you might be waiting for that one.
    Quote Originally Posted by bsnub View Post
    Speaking out the side of his mouth as usual.

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