MANILA, Philippines—In a military buildup certain to inflame tensions with China, the United States said Thursday it has been conducting joint South China Sea patrols—and eventually will conduct air patrols—with the Philippines, while dispatching U.S. troops and combat aircraft there on more frequent rotations.
The announcement by Defense Secretary Ash Carter in a news conference with Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin was the first time the U.S. revealed that its ships had conducted patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea, a somewhat rare move not done with many other partners in the region.
While Carter insisted the U.S. did not intend to be provocative and was “trying to tamp down tensions here,” Gazmin said he expects that U.S. forces, “with their presence here, will deter uncalled-for actions by the Chinese.”
While the military boost doesn’t include permanent basing for U.S. troops, Beijing views any increased U.S. military presence and activities in the region as a threat.
“Military exchanges by relevant countries should not target third parties, much less support a few countries in challenging China’s sovereignty and security, inciting regional contradictions and sabotaging regional peace and stability,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement in response to Carter’s announcement.
