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China: US Military Expansion in Asia Exacerbates Tensions. PHOTO/Reuters
BEIJING – China warned of “worsening tensions” in the region Asia-Pacific following the Philippines’ agreement to grant military access United States of America (US) to four additional bases in the Southeast Asian country.
“Defense cooperation must not target or damage the interests of third parties,” said Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thursday (2/2/2023).
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“Out of a selfish mentality and zero-sum game, the US is pushing for more military presence in Asia, aggravating tensions,” Mao said, addressing broader US access to military bases in the Philippines, reported the China Global Times daily.
Previously, the Philippines agreed to allow the US military access to four more bases in the country. The US Department of Defense said the new location “will enable more rapid support to humanitarian and climate-related disasters in the Philippines, and respond to other shared challenges.”
The announcement came during a visit by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to the Philippines, an island nation in Southeast Asia that is Washington’s oldest military ally in Asia. The expansion of the military base has been agreed under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which was signed in 2014.
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EDCA, a military agreement between Manila and Washington signed during the administration of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, allows for an increased rotational presence of US troops, aircraft and ships at Philippine military bases, as well as the construction of facilities to store fuel and equipment.
Meanwhile, responding to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and retired US Admiral Philip Davidson, Mao said: “The Taiwan Strait tension stems from repeated moves by Taiwanese authorities to seek ‘independence’ by relying on the US.”
“The US must earnestly live up to its commitment not to support ‘Taiwan independence,'” the spokesperson said.
