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Philippines to build US-funded port on island facing Taiwan
- Plan aims to accommodate fleeing Filipino workers in Taiwan in the event of a crisis
- Batanes is the Philippines’ smallest province located less than 200km (124 miles) from Taiwan
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A plan is under way to construct a US-funded civilian port in Batanes, the northernmost Philippine island province facing the critical channel separating the country from Taiwan, its governor said on Saturday.
In an interview at a Philippine navy event, Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco said the US Army will arrive in late April to further discuss the new facility in the province. The port could be an alternative to the existing one on the island’s western side.
Batanes, the Philippines’ smallest province located less than 200km (124 miles) from Taiwan, holds strategic significance in the event of a conflict between China and Taiwan, which the mainland views as a renegade province to be reunified, by force if necessary.
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Cayco said that the plan, developed in coordination with the Philippine military, aims to accommodate fleeing Filipino workers in Taiwan in the event of a crisis. Last month, Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro expressed eagerness to bolster the military presence in Batanes.
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Chinese floating barrier blocks entrance to Philippine ships at South China Sea flashpoint
Chinese floating barrier blocks entrance to Philippine ships at South China Sea flashpoint
On Saturday, the Philippine Navy held a ceremony in Batanes. The province is slated to be one of the locations for annual joint military drills between the Philippines and the United States in April and May. The move is expected to provoke a backlash from China.
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