New Philippine base will send message to China - expert
ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 06/27/2013 9:22 PM | Updated as of 06/27/2013 9:22 PM
MANILA - A new Philippine naval base that US troops can access will send a strong message to China, a security expert said Thursday.
Political science professor and defense expert Clarita Carlos said it will tell Beijing that Manila has the capability to defend itself, with the help of Washington.
"Remember you have the mutual defence treaty, and given all the provocations from China in trying to get for herself all those islands, reefs, ecetera, and other features in the South China Sea, I think this is one way of telegraphing to her, we also have the capability if we want to, of course supported by the United States of America," Carlos said.
"So I would imagine, there would be more visits of U.S. naval personnel here and there would be more joint and combined exercises. Nothing wrong with that," she added.
The Philippine military wants to build new air and naval bases at Subic Bay, coinciding with a resurgence of US warships, planes and personnel in the region as Washington turns its attention to a newly assertive China and continues to shift foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia.
A 30-hectare area has been identified for a P10-billion base development.
The US visits have become more frequent as Beijing grows more assertive in the South China Sea, which is claimed entirely by China, Taiwan and Vietnam and in part by Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines -- one of Asia's biggest flashpoints.
The frequency of US Navy ships passing through Subic has increased dramatically, underlining its strategic importance near vital sea lines and just 130 nautical miles (241 km) east of Scarborough Shoal, a rock formation controlled by China since a tense two-month standoff with the Philippines in 2012.
This year alone, 72 US warships and submarines visited Subic, compared with 88 for all of 2012, 54 in 2011 and 51 in 2010, official data showed.
Japan access
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Thursday said Japan can also be given access to Philippines military bases amid a rising security threat from China.
He said the government is still drafting a plan that would allow US forces to spend more time on Filipino bases, something that could also be offered to Japan's military later.
"If and when there is agreement on the access, then there will be equipment coming in from the (United) States," Gazmin told a joint news conference in Manila after meeting with visiting Japan Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera.
"Now as far as Japan is concerned, we do welcome other countries -- particularly Japan since Japan is a strategic partner -- in accordance with our existing protocols."
The US had tens of thousands of troops stationed in the Philippines, at the Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base north of Manila, until the early 1990s.
The United States, a former colonial ruler of the Philippines, was forced to abandon the bases amid anti-US sentiment and a row over rent. The constitution now bans any permanent foreign bases in the Philippines.
However the Clark and Subic facilities, now partly converted to business use, still host and service US military aircraft and warships on short-term exercises.
One of those began Thursday in waters between the Philippines' main island of Luzon and a disputed shoal now occupied by China.
Wargames in West Philippine Sea
The annual exercises were launched in Subic Bay, a former US naval base.
Officials said the drills are aimed at improving mutual operations between the two allies in maintaining regional security, addressing trafficking and smuggling, and responding to disasters.
"It also sends a message to our neighbours that our navies share a common interest in keeping our seas and littorals open for safe commerce and the usual interactions of seafaring states," Exercise Director for the Philippines, Ruel Saonoy, said.
Though some exercises will be held in waters facing the disputed Scarborough Shoal, where Chinese and Philippine vessels faced off last year, naval commanders from the US and Philippines were quick to say that the exercises were routine, and were not related to maritime tensions.
"I don't think it (exercises) will amount to anything as far as tension is concerned. We don't speak of tensions here but we speak of maritime cooperation," Vice Commander of the Philippine navy, Edgardo Tamayo, said.
Commander of US Navy Task Force 73, Rear Admiral Thomas Carney, said the drills are part of US strategic rebalance to Asia.
"It's certainly part of the rebalance that the U.S. is looking to reinforce not only militarily but economically and politically with Asia," he said.
The Philippines has accused China of "encroachment" near another disputed, the Second Thomas Shoal, a coral reef where Manila recently beefed up its small military presence, diplomatic sources told Reuters.
China in turn has accused the Philippines of "illegal occupation" of the reef, which is a strategic gateway to an area believed to be rich in oil and natural gas. - with reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse
Political science professor and defense expert Clarita Carlos said it will tell Beijing that Manila has the capability to defend itself, with the help of Washington.
"Remember you have the mutual defence treaty, and given all the provocations from China in trying to get for herself all those islands, reefs, ecetera, and other features in the South China Sea, I think this is one way of telegraphing to her, we also have the capability if we want to, of course supported by the United States of America," Carlos said.
"So I would imagine, there would be more visits of U.S. naval personnel here and there would be more joint and combined exercises. Nothing wrong with that," she added.
The Philippine military wants to build new air and naval bases at Subic Bay, coinciding with a resurgence of US warships, planes and personnel in the region as Washington turns its attention to a newly assertive China and continues to shift foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia.
A 30-hectare area has been identified for a P10-billion base development.
The US visits have become more frequent as Beijing grows more assertive in the South China Sea, which is claimed entirely by China, Taiwan and Vietnam and in part by Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines -- one of Asia's biggest flashpoints.
The frequency of US Navy ships passing through Subic has increased dramatically, underlining its strategic importance near vital sea lines and just 130 nautical miles (241 km) east of Scarborough Shoal, a rock formation controlled by China since a tense two-month standoff with the Philippines in 2012.
This year alone, 72 US warships and submarines visited Subic, compared with 88 for all of 2012, 54 in 2011 and 51 in 2010, official data showed.
Japan access
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Thursday said Japan can also be given access to Philippines military bases amid a rising security threat from China.
He said the government is still drafting a plan that would allow US forces to spend more time on Filipino bases, something that could also be offered to Japan's military later.
"If and when there is agreement on the access, then there will be equipment coming in from the (United) States," Gazmin told a joint news conference in Manila after meeting with visiting Japan Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera.
"Now as far as Japan is concerned, we do welcome other countries -- particularly Japan since Japan is a strategic partner -- in accordance with our existing protocols."
The US had tens of thousands of troops stationed in the Philippines, at the Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base north of Manila, until the early 1990s.
The United States, a former colonial ruler of the Philippines, was forced to abandon the bases amid anti-US sentiment and a row over rent. The constitution now bans any permanent foreign bases in the Philippines.
However the Clark and Subic facilities, now partly converted to business use, still host and service US military aircraft and warships on short-term exercises.
One of those began Thursday in waters between the Philippines' main island of Luzon and a disputed shoal now occupied by China.
Wargames in West Philippine Sea
The annual exercises were launched in Subic Bay, a former US naval base.
Officials said the drills are aimed at improving mutual operations between the two allies in maintaining regional security, addressing trafficking and smuggling, and responding to disasters.
"It also sends a message to our neighbours that our navies share a common interest in keeping our seas and littorals open for safe commerce and the usual interactions of seafaring states," Exercise Director for the Philippines, Ruel Saonoy, said.
Though some exercises will be held in waters facing the disputed Scarborough Shoal, where Chinese and Philippine vessels faced off last year, naval commanders from the US and Philippines were quick to say that the exercises were routine, and were not related to maritime tensions.
"I don't think it (exercises) will amount to anything as far as tension is concerned. We don't speak of tensions here but we speak of maritime cooperation," Vice Commander of the Philippine navy, Edgardo Tamayo, said.
Commander of US Navy Task Force 73, Rear Admiral Thomas Carney, said the drills are part of US strategic rebalance to Asia.
"It's certainly part of the rebalance that the U.S. is looking to reinforce not only militarily but economically and politically with Asia," he said.
The Philippines has accused China of "encroachment" near another disputed, the Second Thomas Shoal, a coral reef where Manila recently beefed up its small military presence, diplomatic sources told Reuters.
China in turn has accused the Philippines of "illegal occupation" of the reef, which is a strategic gateway to an area believed to be rich in oil and natural gas. - with reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse
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