The U.S. and the Philippines: Shoulder to Shoulder in the South China Sea

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced a “…regular periodic presence [in the Philippines] of American forces,” something that has not occurred since the Philippines voted to expel U.S. forces in 1991. The announcement in Manila is an important milestone in the resurrection of one of the U.S.’s oldest Pacific alliances. It is equally representative of the rapid deterioration of Sino-Filipino relations. Manila was the first to take Beijing to international court over a maritime territorial dispute. The legal action was done in part because the Philippines lacks the defensive capabilities to deter China. Carter’s announcement of sustained U.S. troop presence and joint maritime patrols signals not only that the U.S. is willing to fill the capability gap, but that Manila is eager to allow it to do so.

Carter’s visit coincides with the 32^nd joint military exercise known as Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder” in Tagalog. The exercise, composed of U.S., Filipino, and Australian armed forces, seeks to enhance joint operations among the international forces in the event of conflict or humanitarian disasters. Additionally, the visit will be an occasion for the defense secretary to make a case that the U.S. be granted access to three additional military bases, in addition to the five agreed upon in March. This was the culmination of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (ECDA), a 2014 accord that allowed the return of U.S. forces back to the Philippines after their departure in 1991.