Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said on the 15th that the Philippines will no longer open new military bases to the US military. When asked when the U.S.-Philippines mutual defense treaty would apply to the South China Sea, he reiterated the U.S. position, saying that the death of Philippine personnel in an incident would be sufficient to trigger the treaty.
Marcos attended the Foreign Correspondents' Association of the Philippines forum on the 15th and pointed out for the first time in response to relevant questions that in addition to the existing nine Philippine military bases, the Philippine side does not plan to open more military bases for the use of the US military.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos:
The answer to the question of whether to open more bases to the U.S. military is no. The Philippines has no plans to build more bases or allow more U.S. military to use them.
The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signed between the Philippines and the United States in 2014 allowed the U.S. military to use five Philippine military bases, but in 2023 it was confirmed that the number will increase to nine, one of which is only 400 kilometers from Taiwan. Asked if he was concerned that the opening of military bases by the Philippines to the United States would anger China, Marcos said the opening of the bases itself was a reaction to China's behavior in the South China Sea.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos:
These are reactions to what is happening in the South China Sea, to the provocations that we have had to deal with. This is not the cause, it happened before we had strengthened the defense cooperation agreement.
When asked why the recent frequent collisions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea and injuries to the Philippine side were not enough to trigger the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, Marcos reiterated the recent position of the US side that the US side has recently added that only the death of Philippine personnel in the incident is enough to trigger the Treaty.
China's Ministry of National Defense has previously criticized the Philippines' provocations as the direct cause of the recent escalation of the South China Sea issue, and that the Philippines is going further and further down a dangerous path. The Philippine side should realize that provocation and provoking trouble outweigh the losses, and relying on outsiders is fundamentally unreliable. ”
China's Defense Ministry said U.S. involvement was the biggest driver of the turmoil in the South China Sea. The Ministry of Defense criticized the United States for ignoring the facts, inciting confrontation, endorsing the Philippine platform, threatening and pressuring China with so-called bilateral treaties on many occasions, and sending warships to the South China Sea to provoke trouble, seriously undermining regional peace and stability. The Chinese side stressed that the United States has no right to meddle in the South China Sea issue, and that US-Philippine military cooperation must not undermine China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
Source: Zhu Yanfang of Phoenix Satellite TV reported from Manila, Philippines
Editor: Mu Mu