Analysis

Philippines-US Defence Cooperation and Its Impact on the Region

The Philippines has become closer to the United States since Marcos Jr. took office in 2022.
In the Asia-Pacific, the Philippines-Japan-US alliance is clearly emerging.
While the US is trying to foment potential crises in Southeast Asia, the regional states suffer the most.

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Amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, on 30 July 2024, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr hosted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin in Manila.[1] It is noteworthy that the US has extended the “2+2” format negotiations, which it is currently conducting with Japan, South Korea and some other regional allies, to the Philippines. As a matter of fact, the Philippines has become even closer to the US since Marcos Jr. took office in 2022. In parallel with this, the Philippines’ tensions with China in the South China Sea have sharply increased. After increasing tensions, Manila reached an “interim agreement” with Beijing in July 2024 to manage the disputes, but the details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed.

During a visit by US officials to Manila, the Pentagon announced $500 million in foreign military financing for the Philippines and proposed to spend $128 million on infrastructure improvements at Philippine bases accessible to US forces under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).[2] In 2023, Manila agreed to provide Washington with four new military bases in the north of the country under the EDCA. In addition, the US and the Philippines are currently negotiating the General Security Agreement on Military Information Security, which provides for intelligence sharing. The Pentagon already has access to nine Philippine military installations where it can pre-position aircraft and ships. Washington intends to modernise these facilities through runway and infrastructure upgrades to enhance joint training and interoperability.

It is important to recall that the Philippines has also recently held talks with Japan in a 2+2 format. This is because such dialogues are similar to coalitions that are actually preparing for war. In July 2024, the Philippines and Japan signed the Mutual Access Agreement (RAA), which is critical for regional security. This agreement allows the military forces of both countries to visit each other’s territory. Thus, military co-operation and co-ordination between the US, Japan and the Philippines can be ensured in the event of a possible crisis in Taiwan. This is because the US has mutual defence agreements with both Japan and the Philippines. Again, to emphasize as an important milestone, at the summit held at the White House on 11 April 2024 between US President Joe Biden, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the foundations of the trilateral defence cooperation mechanism were laid and the US reiterated its defence commitment to these two countries.

While the Philippines is in dispute with China over the Second Thomas Reef in the South China Sea, Japan has long been in competition with China over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands in the East China Sea. Due to these common features, the two countries are seeking to establish a power alliance against China. This is because both countries see China as both an economic partner and a challenge to regional security. The Philippines’ view of China has changed in recent years and bilateral relations have fluctuated. Manila, under pressure from Washington, has begun to turn more towards Beijing on regional security issues. Although the Philippines has increased its economic co-operation with China in recent years, it remains under the influence of the US on regional security issues. Thus, the Philippines supports the US strategy of encircling China by establishing a defence partnership with Japan.

The US allies in the Asia-Pacific have become increasingly supportive of the strategy of encircling China. These countries include, in particular, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The Philippines and Japan are of particular importance here as they signed formal security agreements with the United States in the early 1950s.

A Philippines-Japan-US alliance is clearly emerging in the Asia-Pacific. This trilateral alliance is an indicator of the extension of global blocisation to the Asia-Pacific. Although the parties claim that they have come together to ensure security and stability, such formations have the capacity to negatively affect the security of other actors in the region. In this context, the Philippines-Japan-US aims to maintain regional stability by establishing a common defence mechanism against so-called “regional security threats”. The US-led Western Bloc and its allies aim to create a strong security network in the Asia-Pacific. The Philippines-Japan-US defence partnership can be interpreted as a cooperation network shaped around regional security, economic cooperation and common interests.

In conclusion, the proximity of the Philippines and Japan to Taiwan Island causes these countries to play a critical role in the US strategy of containment of China. This is because the Philippines may be used as a forward deployment base by the US in a potential military conflict in the South China Sea. The Philippines, relying on the support of the United States, is heading towards a dangerous policy of polarisation against China. The Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea can be characterised as crises artificially magnified by the US. The US is trying to deter China by saying that it will protect the Philippines and Japan to the end. While the US is trying to fuelling potential crises in Southeast Asia, the regional states suffer the most.


[1] “Rebuffing Beijing, US and Philippines Vow to Operate in South China Sea”, Air and Space, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/us-philippines-freedom-navigation-south-china-sea/, (Access Date: 02.08.2024).

[2] “Marcos Jr welcomes US support as Blinken and Austin arrive in Philippines”, Al Jazeraa, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/30/marcos-jr-welcomes-us-support-as-blinken-and-austin-arrive-in-philippines, (Access Date: 02.08.2024).

Dr. Cenk TAMER
Dr. Cenk TAMER
Dr. Cenk Tamer graduated from Sakarya University, Department of International Relations in 2014. In the same year, he started his master's degree at Gazi University, Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies. In 2016, Tamer completed his master's degree with his thesis titled "Iran's Iraq Policy after 1990", started working as a Research Assistant at ANKASAM in 2017 and was accepted to Gazi University International Relations PhD Program in the same year. Tamer, whose areas of specialization are Iran, Sects, Sufism, Mahdism, Identity Politics and Asia-Pacific and who speaks English fluently, completed his PhD education at Gazi University in 2022 with his thesis titled "Identity Construction Process and Mahdism in the Islamic Republic of Iran within the Framework of Social Constructionism Theory and Securitization Approach". He is currently working as an Asia-Pacific Specialist at ANKASAM.

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