(Manila Bloomberg) American allies Philippines hope to further strengthen the security relations of the Philippines, accelerate the implementation of the defense agreement signed with the United States, allow the U.S. military to use local military bases and build more new facilities to balance and China and the United StatesRelationship.
A spokesman for the Philippine Ministry of Defense, Anto, said that the Philippines is cooperating with the United States to accelerate the implementation of some projects that have been put on hold during the period of the former President Duterte during the administration.
The agreement signed by the United States and Philippines in 2014 allows the U.S. forces to take turns in the Philippines for a long time, and can build and operate facilities in the Philippines military bases, but it is not allowed to establish any permanent military base in the United States.This agreement is valid for 10 years and is regarded as part of the US Asia -Pacific strategy, which aims to compete for the increasing power of China in the South China Sea.
Antoon said: "The Ministry of National Defense is committed to completing the infrastructure improvement and maintenance of the location covered by the existing agreement to accelerate the implementation of this agreement ... (including) to carry out new infrastructure at the existing agreement location.Project, and explore new locations to establish a more reliable common defense attitude. "
Manila Times reported recently that the two countries currently agree to implement this agreement at the five military bases in the Philippines and discuss the expansion to the increase to the other five bases.
After the intensive tension between China and the United States, the Philippines and the United States re -discussed the defense agreement.As China is still a major trading partner in the Philippines, the Philippine government must work hard to get a balance between China and the United States.Philippine officials have also repeatedly warned that countries should not be caught in a situation that must be selected between China and the United States.
Antoon revealed that the funds of $ 65.5 million (about $ 91.95 million) have been prepared for projects that have been approved, which are expected to be implemented within two years.
He also said that the Philippines and the United States continued to discuss how to fulfill the joint defense treaty signed by the two countries in 1951 to ensure that this treaty is still out of time in responding to the current security challenges.
