After a period of strategic estrangement, the Philippines and United States are getting back together again.
As US President Donald Trump steps up efforts to win over Southeast Asian states in an emerging campaign to counter China’s regional rise with arms sales and aid, the Pentagon has made strong new overtures to re-engage its ally in Manila.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now recalibrating his relations with the US after downgrading ties in a policy lurch towards more friendly relations with China.
Rising domestic opposition to that shift, inflamed by China’s rising assertiveness over contested features in the South China Sea, has no doubt informed the president’s perceptible move towards more US engagement.
While Duterte hasn’t shied from his colorful brand of anti-Western tirades, he hasn’t opposed the gradual restoration of US defense ties, both vis-à-vis domestic security threats with the rise of Islamic State in its southern island of Mindanao, as well as maritime security threats in the South China.
He has also stepped up his criticism of China’s militarization of the disputes in the maritime area.
While Duterte has frequently touted China as a trusted friend in the country’s development, his defense establishment has remained suspicious of Beijing’s intentions and made clear it prefers to maintain strong ties with the US, with which it shares a mutual defense treaty.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has offered advanced military hardware, including Lockheed Martin F-16 multi-role fighters and attack helicopters and a significantly expanded defense aid package, representing its largest in the region.
Washington has also offered to bankroll infrastructure development under its new US$60 billion Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) program. China earlier promised as much as US$26 billion in infrastructure deals, but actual disbursals under Duterte have so far been a trickle.
In a touch of soft power diplomacy, the Pentagon has also promoted the the return of the highly symbolic Balangiga Bells, a war trophy from the early years of America’s colonial occupation of the Philippines.
The move is seen as an olive branch to Duterte, who has repeatedly lashed Washington for not returning the church bells which many see as a symbol of Filipino anti-colonial resistance and American aggression in its only Asian colony.
“The return of the Balangiga Bells will be a strong indicator of the sincerity of the Americans in forging a lasting relationship with the Filipino people,” the Philippine National Defense Department said in a statement. The bells are currently housed at F E Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The overtures build on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s early August visit to the region, where he met top leaders from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia as well as foreign ministers attending from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
During his tour, America’s top diplomat announced a new US$300 million security aid package for regional allies that will focus in part on maritime security cooperation with an eye on arming up Southeast Asian states with rival claims to China in the South China Sea.
Pompeo also announced a new US$117 million mobilization fund to facilitate hi-tech American investments into Southeast Asia that aims to create “quality” jobs.
The US Congress is now discussing an Asia Reassurance Initiative bill, a multi-billion dollar program aimed at augmenting America’s military footprint and strategic influence across the Indo-Pacific region.
The Pentagon is leading the diplomatic charge to Manila. US Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Asia-Pacific Randall Schriver, during an August trip to the Philippine capital, underscored the Trump administration’s commitment to aiding the Philippines in its ongoing disputes with China in the South China Sea.
His visit coincided with Duterte adopting unusually tough language vis-à-vis China, suggesting in one rhetorical flourish that the two sides could go to war over the disputes.
Dismayed by China’s constant harassment of Filipino surveillance operations in the sea, he warned China against using “nasty words” to intimidate Filipino air force patrols in the area. He said: “[y]ou cannot create islands there and claim the [whole contested] sea”
In a marked departure from the notoriously vague language of the previous Barack Obama administration, Shriver made it clear that Washington will be “a good ally” and “help the Philippines respond accordingly” to threats to its sovereign rights and claims in the South China Sea.
Many in the Philippines were disappointed the US did not take a more forceful stand during its 2012 naval standoff with China over the Scarborough Shoal, which lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. China took administrative control of the shoal while the US looked on despite its 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with Manila.
Shriver, in contrast, minced no words on what Washington now sees as the main threat in the region, making it clear during his visit to the Philippines that Washington “will not allow [China] to rewrite the rules of the road or change international law.”
Earlier this year, the US Navy dispatched for the first time a warship to conduct Freedom of Navigation Operations near the Philippine-claimed, China-controlled Scarborough Shoal. It has also sent multiple aircraft carriers to make good will visits to Philippine ports.
More significantly, the two allies resumed this year their joint Balikatan, or “Shoulder-to-Shoulder”, war games in the South China Sea, an exercise that included a combined 8,000 troops and joint amphibious exercises.
Soon after taking office, Duterte threatened to eject American Special Forces that have rotationally stationed in Mindanao since 2011, nixed joint war games in the South China Sea, and downgraded and relocated the Balikatan exercises away from disputed areas with China.
All these decisions were seen as part of an emerging grand bargain with Beijing, which offered large-scale economic benefits and the cessation of direct threats to Filipino troops and personnel stationed in Philippine-occupied land features in the South China Sea.
In his third year in office, Duterte has yet to see any tangible large-scale Chinese investments, while Beijing’s harassment of Philippine troops and surveillance missions in the area have continued. This has provided an opening for Washington to rebuild ties with its estranged yet threatened ally.
In late August, the US State Department also dispatched a senior official to the Philippines to diplomatically underscore the Trump administration’s commitment to its oldest regional ally.
During his visit to Manila, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Walter Douglas announced the largest ever single-year Foreign Military Financing (FMF) assistance to the Philippines, representing one-fifth (US$60 million) of the total US$300 million security assistance initiative announced by Pompeo earlier that month.
The US official said the grant was given in “recognition of the long-term partnership we’ve had with the Philippines on the security front” and would cover “peacekeeping and maritime domain awareness” among other security areas.
Douglas and a senior Pompeo adviser told this writer that the Trump administration is keen to upgrade Philippine relations in a comprehensive way, including through the mobilization of private American capital for “high-quality” investments in the Philippines, including through the BUILD program.
They suggested that senior American officials recognize the shortcomings of the previous administration in addressing the Philippines’ needs for stronger strategic assurances, including in the South China Sea.
When the u.s military was in the philippines decades ago, the philippines is the only country that does not bankroll u.s. military presence, unlike japan, saudi arabia, etc. They are renting the airfields and ports. It was pumping civilian aid to the country in billions of dollars and hires the most number of civilian employees next to the number of employees in the bureaucracy.
Regaining philippines-u.s. alliance is brilliancy for pres. duterte. Not for anything else but because of the ideals the americans have for freedom and human dignity, the virtues every discerning mind have after his birth. A truism that cannot be twisted regardless of who you will be in the ebb if your life.
Regaining philippines-u.s. alliance is brilliancy for pres. duterte. Not for anything else but because of the ideals the americans have for freedom and human dignity, the virtues every discerning mind have after his birth. A truism that cannot be twisted regardless of who you will be in the ebb if your life.
All i read are snippets of a broader and startegic non-aligned Duterte diplomacy where Ph’s is friends to all and enemies to none.
Heydrian’s twisted felicities never missed it mark. Dont give too much weight, value on what he says.
Ph is an emerging State. The Eastern Eagle has awoken soaring high once again. Patriots have taken power. Co founder of ASEAN, it reasserts its responsible role of leadership on many fronts.
Its a multipolar world and Ph recognizes and has taken lead with others in advancing the new world order.
Ph will be a strong ally and partner of Ph. The developing trust and confidence is a good omen for lasting peace in Asia Pacific.
No amount of American propaganda can reverse the set course of Ph diplomacy
All i read are snippets of a broader and startegic non-aligned Duterte diplomacy where Ph’s is friends to all and enemies to none.
Heydrian’s twisted felicities never missed it mark. Dont give too much weight, value on what he says.
Ph is an emerging State. The Eastern Eagle has awoken soaring high once again. Patriots have taken power. Co founder of ASEAN, it reasserts its responsible role of leadership on many fronts.
Its a multipolar world and Ph recognizes and has taken lead with others in advancing the new world order.
Ph will be a strong ally and partner of Ph. The developing trust and confidence is a good omen for lasting peace in Asia Pacific.
No amount of American propaganda can reverse the set course of Ph diplomacy
Too late a hero. Since 1992, US treated us their slaves not allies
Too late a hero. Since 1992, US treated us their slaves not allies
US did nothing to stop China’s miltarization and land reclamation in south china sea and the leaders of ASEAN has switch to friendly relations to China. It is the fault of US and China took advantage of it
Joe Wong we dont embrace american foreign policies, human rights stands and treatment of asian countries completely… but we abhor and hate communist ideologies at all. I personally love conservative chinese people especially its natural culture and traditions. I love watching chinese martial arts films since grade school till this moment. I admire some chinese great men most of all Confucius and the early chinese social way of life. As i can see today you have veered away from this character as an emerging world economic and military power. The current power or authority that your master have now is coercive and enforcing hegemony among south china sea countries just like what other world powers has done in the past against weaker countries. It seems that china which has evolve as a new worldpower nowadays is posturing the same military arrogance and hostilities against weaker states around SCS territories. Its just like saying "its now our turn to do the same because we have already this time the might to be repressive and take territory from smaller and helpless countries. Looking back at the history china had been a subject of foreign military aggression and colonial dominion for a very long time. This abhorrent events in the past enraged me out symphaty to chinese people. Today because of the current situation at the SCS i appeal to your people to be prudent enough in dealing with the situation in that maritime area. As Confucius said, "do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you." I’m very sure in the end of time the world will be for the people who believes in God ‘s ultimate plan.
Joe Wong we dont embrace american foreign policies, human rights stands and treatment of asian countries completely… but we abhor and hate communist ideologies at all. I personally love conservative chinese people especially its natural culture and traditions. I love watching chinese martial arts films since grade school till this moment. I admire some chinese great men most of all Confucius and the early chinese social way of life. As i can see today you have veered away from this character as an emerging world economic and military power. The current power or authority that your master have now is coercive and enforcing hegemony among south china sea countries just like what other world powers has done in the past against weaker countries. It seems that china which has evolve as a new worldpower nowadays is posturing the same military arrogance and hostilities against weaker states around SCS territories. Its just like saying "its now our turn to do the same because we have already this time the might to be repressive and take territory from smaller and helpless countries. Looking back at the history china had been a subject of foreign military aggression and colonial dominion for a very long time. This abhorrent events in the past enraged me out symphaty to chinese people. Today because of the current situation at the SCS i appeal to your people to be prudent enough in dealing with the situation in that maritime area. As Confucius said, "do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you." I’m very sure in the end of time the world will be for the people who believes in God ‘s ultimate plan.
Joe Wong another lunatic mad dog from china…. ????????????????????
Joe Wong another lunatic mad dog from china…. ????????????????????
A obviously biased reporting in favour of restoring level of relation with US lost when Duterte took over the administration from Aquino. This is just a wishful thinking of the writer. Dream on.
A obviously biased reporting in favour of restoring level of relation with US lost when Duterte took over the administration from Aquino. This is just a wishful thinking of the writer. Dream on.
I rather ally with the yankees than chinese. Our ancestors fought side by side with the US army during WW and even they colonize the phil in the eraly 1900 but later on they let us decide what we want for our country unlike china they built military structures by just claiming the WPS because according to their history…. Wayway FAR from their POLLUTED MAIN LAND..
I rather ally with the yankees than chinese. Our ancestors fought side by side with the US army during WW and even they colonize the phil in the eraly 1900 but later on they let us decide what we want for our country unlike china they built military structures by just claiming the WPS because according to their history…. Wayway FAR from their POLLUTED MAIN LAND..
WuKong Sun, Make us go home if you want to try! ????
WuKong Sun, Make us go home if you want to try! ????
Ck Wong, foolish comment.
Ck Wong, foolish comment.