Officials from the US and the Philippines are undergoing talks to expand US military presence in its ally and former colony. This is in addition to agreements to station 2500 Marines in Australia, which was discussed on this blog last November, as well stationing warships in Singapore.
The reason? China. And probably oil.
The US is increasing its military presence in Asia to counter China's increasing ability to assert itself (rightfully or not) in the international affairs of the region. This is also a move at supporting the claims of US allies to oil rich parts of the South China Sea. The Philippines is currently in a dispute over the oil-rich Spratly Islands with several other countries. The ability of the the US to assert itself (rightfully or not) in the region is gaining importance as the US military presence in oil-rich Iraq decreases.
The stated priority of the Philippine officials is to strengthen maritme defense, especially along the South China Sea. A Philippine official mentioned increased US military presence in Australia, Singapore, and Japan. He stated “We’re not the only one doing this, and for good reason. We all want to see a peaceful and stable region. Nobody wants to have to face China or confront China.”
Robert Scher, a deputy assistant secretary of defense said that the US is focused on developing stronger ties with allies over developing bases for US use only.
The plan is for the Philippines to host periodic rotations or temporary assignments of US troops and battleships. The wording regarding temporary assignments can elastic though. Since 2002, there have been 600 US Special Operations troops assisting the fight against al-Qaeda sympathising rebels in the southern islands. The Philippine government has also been working to aquire US military equipment such as 16 fighter jets.
I think that as China expands its power, other countries in the region feel the need to do the same. There is already a bit of tension regarding claims in the energy rich South China Sea. We may be looking at an arms race. The US now has a greater ability to participate in this as more resources are removed from Iraq. What do you think, AP Gov people?
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1 hour ago
1 comment:
I agree that this is definitely very arms-race-esque, except with oil instead of weaponry. I think that the US as a whole feels threatened by China's constant growth and advancement and is struggling to keep up and maintain its status as a "super nation." This article kind of makes me imagine people waiting at a starting line who keep edging forward to try and get a head start.
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