US Wins Expanded Access to Philippine Bases Amid China Tensions

  • Four new sites identified in Philippines for US army access
  • Two nations plan to finish projects in existing five locations
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The US secured access to more Philippine military bases, clearing the way for a greater American presence in the Asia-Pacific region as tensions with China over Taiwan and the South China Sea persist.

The announcement Thursday of a plan to designate four new locations in “strategic areas” where the US will have expanded access didn’t mention China. Instead, it said the new sites — to be identified later — “will allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate-related disasters in the Philippines, and respond to other shared challenges.”