The US will increase its military role in the Philippines as fears over Taiwan grow

The United States is increasing its military presence in the Philippines, both countries announced on Thursday, adding American access to four more bases and reaffirming the Southeast Asian nation’s role as a key strategic partner for Washington in the event of a conflict with China over Taiwan.

The deal was announced as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III was in the Philippines for a trip that started on Tuesday. The deal would allow Washington to position military equipment and rotate its troops through nine military bases controlled by the Philippines. It would be the first time in 30 years that the United States had such a large military presence in the country.

Mr Austin’s visit comes amid growing fears in the region over a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the island democracy that claims China as its territory. Among the five treaty allies the United States has in Asia, the Philippines is among the closest geographically to Taiwan, with its northernmost island of Itbayat just 150 km away. American officials say access to the Philippines’ northernmost islands is crucial to counter China should it attack Taiwan.

The Philippines is the United States’ oldest contractual partner in Asia. Washington is strengthening its presence in the country after relations soured during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s six-year term that ended last year.

During Mr. Duterte’s tenure, he frequently criticized Washington, complaining that the United States, the country’s former colonizer, had entered into defense treaties that were heavily in favor of Americans. He said American troops took their modern weapons with them after the military exercises.

US officials were concerned when Mr. Duterte threatened to withdraw from the Visiting Forces Agreement, a longstanding defense pact that allows for large-scale joint military exercises between the two allies. He also threatened to flout the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, the deal that allows the United States to station military equipment and troops in the Philippines.

Since taking office last June, President Ferdinand E. Marcos has attempted to revive his country’s ties with the United States, surprising many foreign policy pundits. During the campaign, Mr. Marcos had hinted that he would seek closer ties with China, a hallmark of Mr. Duterte’s tenure.

Mr. Marcos, the son of former dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, has since said he “cannot see the Philippines in the future without having the United States as a partner.”

Under the plan, later this year at least 16,000 Filipino and American soldiers will train side-by-side in the northern province of Ilocos Norte, the Marcos family stronghold.

Three decades ago, the US presence in the Philippines was a sore point for many Filipinos. The military bases maintained by the Americans for nearly a century were considered remnants of American colonialism. In 1992, the United States was forced to close its last American base in the Philippines after street protests and a decision by the Philippine Senate.

But when China began its military incursions in the South China Sea, public opinion about America’s presence in the Philippines changed. The Philippines are now hoping for American support to fend off Beijing’s continued military buildup in the South China Sea. Manila and Beijing are locked in a longstanding disagreement over the disputed waters both sides claim as their own.

The planned increase in the American military presence in the Philippines remains controversial from some quarters.

In a statement, Renato Reyes, secretary-general of the nationalist activist political group Bayan, said Filipinos “must not allow our country to be used as a base for a US military intervention in the region.”

“If we allow the US to use our facilities, we will be drawn into this conflict that is not aligned with our national interests,” Mr. Reyes said. As part of the deal announced Thursday, the Americans also agreed to increase humanitarian aid to the Philippines in the wake of future natural disasters.

Jason Gutierrez contributed reporting from Manila.