PHILIPPINESPhilippines sets a time limit for US bases
Can stay in the country but for not more than 20 years
Manila: The US military bases, which will house increased number of American soldiers in the Philippines, will remain in Philippine military bases for less than 20 years, a position held by the Philippine government during talks with US representatives, a senior official said.
This is the position held by the Philippine government, said Ambassador Eduardo Malaya ahead of the holding of the last round of negotiations between the Philippines and US at Camp Crame, headquarters of the defence department in suburban Quezon City.
The Philippine government also wants access to the US bases in the Philippine, said Malaya, one of the negotiators of the Philippine government.
“Both panels have already agreed to this in principle,” said Malaya. Prior to the holding of talks in Manila, both negotiating panel met in Washington. But details of what they initially agreed upon were not released to the media.
It is not known if the seventh round of talks between the two parties in Manila would be their last negotiation.
Several sources said the two negotiating panels are trying to finalise the proposed agreement ahead of the arrival of US President Barack Obama in April.
Called Enhanced Defence Cooperation, the proposed agreement would give the US increased presence in the Philippines, including wider access to all Philippine military bases nationwide.
The Philippines has been aiming for this agreement because of its weak armed forces and the increasing tensions between the Philippines and China due to overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
The US also wants to regain its position of strength in the Asia Pacific.
In 2013, the Philippines elevated its complaint against China to the United Nations’ arbitration court, after China’s takeover of the Scarborough Shoal off northern Luzon. This problem began during a standoff between Chinese and Philippine ships in the area in mid-2012.
China, Taiwan and Vietnam claim the whole of the South China Sea based on their historical rights on the sea lane.
Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines claim some parts of the Spratly Archipelago in the South China Sea, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that gives countries 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone starting from their shores.
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