Philippines to build Batanes islands port near Taiwan without US help
- US involvement in the Batanes port could have stoked tension amid growing friction with China and Washington’s push to step up defence engagements with the Philippines
- The channel between the Batanes islands and Taiwan is considered a choke point for vessels moving between the western Pacific and the South China Sea
The governor of the Batanes islands, less than 200km (125 miles) from Taiwan, said in August she had sought US funding for a new port there. The US embassy had at the time confirmed its diplomats and US Army Pacific experts had been engaging local authorities on various support measures for the islands.
“At first they said they will help but later on, no more, so I asked help from PPA,” Governor Marilou Cayco said, referring to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
The project was intended to help the unloading of cargo from the capital, Manila, during rough seas in the monsoon season, when an existing facility is often inaccessible.
The US embassy on Friday said it had no immediate comment on the issue.
US military involvement in the Batanes port could have stoked tension at a time of growing friction with China and a drive by Washington to intensify its long-standing defence engagements with the Philippines, which Beijing has viewed with suspicion.