Will new Philippine sites for US military near Taiwan affect Manila-China ties?

New EDCA sites key to country’s defence in the ‘strategic’ Luzon Strait against possible Chinese aggression in South China Sea, analysts say

A potential Taiwan crisis is likely to be an important factor, with concern over whether US forces will launch attacks from the new locations

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An armed US sailor patrols the deck of the USS America amphibious assault ship docked at the Port of Manila in the Philippines last month. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:30pm, 7 Apr 2023

The Philippine province of Cagayan on the northeastern tip of Luzon island – some 635km from the capital Manila – will soon host a massive, multimillion-dollar construction programme but its governor Manuel Mamba is not pleased.

“I personally oppose this and I disagree with it and for me, this is inimical to the interest of our province and the Cagayanons,” Mamba said on Tuesday, of the plan to allow the US military to build facilities inside the Cagayan North International Airport and Camilo Osias Naval Base in his province.

The Philippines earlier this week granted the United States access to four more military bases – up from the existing five – under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which allows the US to rotate troops and pre-position defence material, equipment and supplies in “agreed locations” in the country.

The four new bases include one on Palawan island facing the South China Sea, and three in northern Luzon, some 400km from Taiwan.

The governor said on March 23 the presence of EDCA forces would make Cagayan the “primary target” of China should the Sino-US conflict escalate over Taiwan, but later conceded his view was in the minority. A survey in January 2022 by private pollster Pulsa Asia indicated more than 80 per cent of Filipinos favoured closer security cooperation between Manila and Washington.