Scholars believe that if China attacks Taiwan, allowing the United States to use these bases will make it easier for the Philippines to deter and counter China.

The picture shows Filipino and American soldiers.

(AFP)

[Instant News/Comprehensive Report] The Philippines recently allowed the US military to expand its deployment of 4 new bases in the Philippines, located in the south and north of the Philippines, two of which are located in Isabela and Caga in the northern part of Luzon Island. Yan Province (Cagayan), adjacent to Taiwan.

Some scholars believe that if China attacks Taiwan, allowing the United States to use these bases will make it easier to deter and counter China.

According to the "Voice of America" ​​report, Andrea Chloe Wong, a professor at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand who was a senior researcher at the Philippine Foreign Service Academy, said that Philippine President Marcus Jr. through the "Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement" between the United States and the Philippines. Allowing the United States to increase its military presence in the Philippines is a strategy aimed at strengthening the Philippines' own security deterrence.

In addition to sharing military bases between the United States and the Philippines, the United States can also assist the Philippines in training its military, accelerate the modernization of the Philippine military, and strengthen the Philippines' ability to resist China's threats in the South China Sea.

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Andrea pointed out that the presence of the US military in the Philippines can serve as a balancing force and guarantee to prevent China from taking further actions that may aggravate maritime tensions. Without the US military presence, China's maritime expansionist activities will continue unrestricted.

Don McLain Gill, a geopolitical analyst based in the Philippines, believes that in the context of a possible war between China and the United States, these bases can serve as an important logistical support for US military operations and offset China’s geographical advantage over Taiwan to a certain extent. .

The Philippines is bound by its responsibilities under the Mutual Defense Treaty, and its involvement in the Sino-U.S. conflict is inevitable, but the extent of its involvement may be limited to logistical support rather than actual deployment of troops.

South Asia military analyst Miguel Miranda pointed out that the opening of new bases by the Philippines to the United States will allow the US military to deploy, monitor and reconnaissance in important waters such as the Luzon Strait, the South China Sea, and waterways around Palawan Island. If war breaks out one day, the Chinese navy will not be able to threaten Guam through Philippine waters and intercept U.S. aid troops to Taiwan.”

Miranda emphasized that the geographical location of the Philippines is very critical, and it plays the role of a "defense belt". The Philippines opened the base on Luzon Island to allow the US military to station there, so that Luzon Island, Guam, and Okinawa form a strategic triangle. In fact, it also forms a circle around Taiwan. boundary.