(Photo: TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images) A US Marine (C) gives instructions to their Philippine counterpart prior to dropping off from a UH-1Y Venom helicopter in a helocast and maritime patrol training exercise as part of the semiannual Philippine-US military exercise dubbed Marine Aviation Support Activity (MASA) 23, off a marine training base in Ternate town, south of Manila on July 14, 2023.

US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John Aquilino announced Thursday (September 14) that US troops could be granted access to more bases in the Philippines under its joint defense agreement called the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Meanwhile, China is likely to react negatively to the announcement after officials in Beijing had earlier accused Washington of "stoking the fire" when Manila increased the number of bases the US military could use to nine.

The More Bases to Station, The Better

According to Reuters, the additional four sites approved by the Philippine government were located close to potential flashpoints for China - three in the northern part of the main island of Luzon towards Taiwan, and a fourth in Palawan island, close to the Spratlys and the South China Sea, which China and the Philippines have recently sparred over a disputed atoll.

Aquilino, who was in Manila for an annual meeting on bilateral defense cooperation, added that he and Philippine armed forces chief, Gen. Romeo Brawner, have further discussed expanding the number of bases US forces could access under EDCA, as well as made "recommendations" for their respective senior leaders.

Prior to the meeting, Aquilino and Brawner visited some of the EDCA sites.

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Reforging US-PH Defense Ties

US officials said the renewed fervor in the US-Philippine defense cooperation is intended to bolster an already strong alliance and improve the defense capability of the Southeast Asian archipelago nation.

For his part, Brawner said the purpose of EDCA was to conduct training exercises and humanitarian and disaster response, and stressed it was not related to regional security threats.

Aquilino also said the trans-Pacific allies were seeking to complete an agreement aimed at developing its intelligence-sharing capabilities.

The meeting came as the Philippine military's western command alerted officials in Manila Thursday of a "resurgence" of Chinese fishing vessels "swarming" in waters around the Spratly Islands, which is inside the Philippines's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

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