US in talks for military role in Philippines
Date July 14, 2013
Floyd Whaley
The United States was negotiating an agreement to allow it to position military equipment and rotating personnel in the Philippines while avoiding the controversial issue of re-establishing US bases in the country, officials said.
The negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of simmering tension between the Philippines and China about areas in the South China Sea that has been claimed by both countries.
The Philippines, which has a small navy and air force, is relying on support from the US to modernise its military. Part of this military relationship has involved regular short-term visits by US forces for joint training, humanitarian work and disaster response.
The arrangement under negotiation now would allow US forces to visit for longer periods and be stationed on Philippine military bases. It would also allow US military equipment to be based in the Philippines, officials said.
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''An access agreement would increase opportunities for joint military training and exercises and allow the pre-positioning of equipment and supplies enabling us to respond quickly to disasters,'' a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Manila, Elizabeth Mesa, said.
''The United States is not seeking to create or reopen any military bases in the Philippines.''
The US maintained large military bases in the Philippines for nearly a century as it countered threats from Japan before World War II and concerns about the spread of communism during the Cold War.
In 1992, the last US base in the country was closed after divisive street protests.
