Strengthening Ties: US and Philippines Unite Against Chinese Threat

The governments of the United States and the Philippines have signed an intelligence-sharing deal, described by Al Jazeera as furthering the security ties between the two countries.

According to Al Jazeera, the treaty, formally called The General Security of Military Information Agreement, has the goal to help Washington and Manila to counter a resurgent China.

“I want to start by underscoring our ironclad commitment to the Philippines”, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III declared, as quoted by Reuters. “It will be a place where our forces can work side by side to respond to regional challenges”.

Meanwhile, Gilberto Teodoro, the Filipino Minister of Defense, stated the following: “The United States' presence in the Indo Pacific region is essential for maintaining peace and stability in this region”.

According to Al Jazeera, the Manila government has also expressed interest in the acquisition of the US typhoon missile system.

Reuters highlights that the United States and the Philippines have a mutual defense treaty, dating back to 1951. It could be invoked if any of either country is attacked, including in the South China Sea.

Image: JC Gellidon / Unsplash

Beijing claims ownership over the South China Sea, deploying navy vessels, which Manila accuses of harassing Filipino ships and blocks their access to reefs and islands, per Al Jazeera.

Unsurprisingly, the Beijing government is less than thrilled about seeing Washington and Manila becoming closer.

China’s foreign ministry released a statement, cited by Reuters, in which Beijing claims that any military cooperation “must not be directed against or harm the interests of a third party, and they must not undermine regional peace or exacerbate tensions in the region”.

With China wanting to expand its influence beyond its territorial waters and the United States supporting South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, let’s hope any conflict manages to cool down before it boils to the point of no return.

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