Philippines’ move to keep US military pact reveals shift in South China Sea calculations
- The decision comes as Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the sea fuels anxieties in the region and Manila grapples with the coronavirus crisis
- Experts say the move would likely be viewed with relief by other claimants and could offer the US a chance to reset its strategic ties with the Philippines
Manila’s announcement in February that it would begin the process of suspending the VFA in 180 days was seen as a move to downgrade its traditional alliance with the US, although Manila officially said it was so the country could develop its own defence capabilities and alliances.
Since coming to power in 2016, Duterte has publicly expressed his intention to distance himself from the US in favour of embracing closer ties with China and its big-ticket infrastructure investments.
Richard Javad Heydarian, a Manila-based scholar, columnist and author, said Duterte’s change of heart now was not completely surprising, given China’s recent moves in the resource-rich waterway through which about 30 per cent of world trade flows.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea – which is disputed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan – and has reclaimed land and built infrastructure and military installations in several areas in the last decade.