The US must, and will, defend the Philippines

This opinion story is full of inaccuracies. A Chinese general has called Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia “running dogs for the United States”.

The author claims, “To be clear, bases access is not the Philippines’ plan”, but is something the Obama administration wants as part of its “pivot” to Asia and as a way of increasing arms sales. He says, “This month, President Benigno Aquino confirmed talks with the US on the bases-access accord” not because of Chinese aggression in “the West Philippines Sea” but due to the “hidden motives” of an arms race.

In 1992 the Philippines ordered the US out of Clark air base and Subic Bay naval base. These were slated for private development, which in the case of Clark has been a failure. This was part of the end of the Cold War and gave a false sense that there were no threats to Philippine security.

China’s aggression and occupation of Philippines territory has been answered with empty complaints from the Philippines government, whose navy is no match for China’s. Contrary to this story, the only reason Aquino is discussing base access is due to China’s very real threat to the Philippines.  Kicking the US out did not create a sense of pan-Asian solidarity but exposed the Philippines to this bullying.

The same thing is happening in Vietnam’s territory and, to their credit, the Vietnamese have exposed and excoriated China for its illegal acts that are an existential threat to it and its neighbours.

But the stupidest statement by far is this: “It’s uncertain whether America will side with the Philippines when armed hostilities with China break out. Washington has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the territorial disputes. But, in fact, keeping tensions in the disputed seas alive without necessarily going to war is good business for its merchants of death.”

To repeat: the Philippines is a close US ally.  Moreover, the US and the Philippines have had a Mutual Defence Treaty since 1951. The US is legally obligated to defend the Philippines and it would certainly do so.

Although in theory it would be nice to have no bases, the pluses of US military presence and protection far outweigh the minuses, which is not apparent during times of peace, but when a smaller, weaker country is dealing with aggression such as China’s expansionism and military build-up.

Leyte Gulf

Bangkok