A new deal with the Philippines gives the United States the ability to begin deploying troops to two military bases near the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The new bilateral defense agreement between the United States and the Philippines gives U.S. forces access to at least eight military bases identified for troop rotation.
The agreement comes on the heels of the 26th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, after which the 10-member Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) issued a statement citing “serious concerns” over the Chinese regime’s aggression in the South China Sea, and called for “self-restraint in the conduct of activities.”
Tensions have been growing over the Spratly Islands, in particular. They are close to 1,000 miles south of China’s southernmost point in Hainan, yet the Chinese regime is building new islands and constructing military bases in the region.
