MANILA (Reuters) - The United States is seeking more access to Philippines ports and airfields to re-fuel and service its warships and planes, diplomatic and military sources said on Thursday, expanding its presence at a time of tension with China in the South China Sea .
But it is not trying to reopen military bases there.
Washington's growing cooperation in the Philippines, a U.S. ally which voted to remove huge American naval and air bases 20 years ago, follows the U.S. announcement last year of plans to set up a Marine base in northern Australia and possibly station warships in Singapore.
It also coincides with diplomatic and military friction in the South China Sea and its oil-rich Spratly Islands, which are subject to disputed claims by China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations.
Last month, senior Philippine defense and foreign affairs officials met their U.S. counterparts in Washington to discuss ways to increase the number and frequency of joint exercises, training, ship and aircraft visits and other activities.
"It's access, not bases," a foreign affairs department official familiar with the strategic dialogue told Reuters.
"Our talks focus on strengthening cooperation on military and non-military activities, such as disaster response and humanitarian assistance, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation.
There were no discussions about new U.S. bases," he said.
These activities would allow the U.S. military more access in the Philippines, stretching its presence beyond local military facilities and training grounds into central Cebu province or to Batanes island near the northern borders with Taiwan.
U.S. ships and aircraft are seeking access for re-supply, re-fueling and repairs, not just for goodwill visits, exercises and training activities, the diplomat said.
The Philippines was ruled by the United States for nearly five decades between the departure of the Spanish and the Japanese occupation during the Second World War, and is now one of its foremost allies in Asia, despite expelling the U.S. from its former military bases at Clark and Subic Bay in 1992.
Since 1987, the Philippine constitution has explicitly banned a permanent foreign military presence . But Washington maintains close military ties under a 1951 defense treaty, and its special forces have been helping the Philippine military combat Islamic militants in the south of the country since 2002.
A Filipino diplomat said Washington's expanding presence is allowed under the under a 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement and a 2002 Mutual Logistics Support Agreement.
The issue is likely to be raised during a visit to Manila from Friday by U.S. Assistant Secretary Andrew Shapiro, senior advisor on political-military affairs to Secretary Hillary Clinton.
U.S. MILITARY "HARDWARE"
Apart from training and exercises, the two countries discussed U.S. military assistance, including equipment and data to enhance "domain awareness" in the South China Sea.
A second Hamilton-class cutter will be transferred to the Philippine Navy this year and a possible third second-hand cutter was also discussed, the diplomat added.
"On our side, we're also trying to explore ways on how to access newer U.S. military hardware through innovative financial schemes other than the usual channels," the foreign affairs official said.
Military sources said Manila was studying leasing newer offshore patrol vessels, larger sealift and support vessels and lead-in fighter trainer aircraft.
Last month, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told reporters Manila is also considering a proposal from the United States Pacific Command to deploy P3C-Orion spy planes in the country to help monitor movements and activities in the South China Sea.
The disputed ownership of oil-rich reefs and islands in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in trade sails annually, is one of the biggest security threats in Asia.
Beijing says it has historical sovereignty over the South China Sea, superseding claims of other countries.
Tension over the region and the U.S. plans to expand its military operations in the Asia-Pacific, long an issue with China, could well come up in talks when China's leader-in-waiting Xi Jingping visits Washington next week.
China has expressed misgivings about the Obama administration's shift to raise its security role in the region at a time when Beijing is expanding its own military reach.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Command's proposal to deploy spy planes came two months after State and Pentagon officials offered to share surveillance data on the South China Sea during talks with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario in June 2011.
Last year, Del Rosario repeatedly protested against China's activities and intrusions into Philippine maritime territories, including an attempt to ram a survey ship exploring oil and gas in the South China Sea.
Manila had accused China's ships of crossing into its maritime borders nearly a dozen times in 2011.
The Philippines has welcomed plans by the United States to shift more attention in the Asia and Pacific region and senior officials said an expanded U.S. military presence could enhance peace and stability.
"For us, it would boost our deterrent capability to stop intrusions into our territories," said the diplomat.
Dipetik dari - The Laredo Sun
CPP: US preparing PHL Navy as ‘frontline force’ vs China
THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said the US is preparing the Philippine Navy as its “frontline force” against China in connection with the brewing conflict over the Spratly Islands.
“The transfer of another naval cutter from the US government serves the purpose of US military buildup on the South China Sea. Through such, the US is able to employ the Philippine Navy as an augmentation force in the course of its operations to permanently project its military presence and power in the area and secure the trade routes and Asian markets in the interest of US monopoly capitalist companies,” the CPP said in a statement.
Last week Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin confirmed talks about the acquisition of another Hamilton-class cutter.
However, Vice Adm. Alexander Pama, Navy flag officer in command, said there is no formal offer yet from the US government on the acquisition of another 40-year-old cutter.
Last year the Navy acquired its first cutter from the US Coast Guard under the Excess Defense Articles Program of the US.
Renamed to BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF15), the US ship that was refurbished and put into operational mission by the Navy last December was deployed for maritime security patrol on the South China Sea.
Also, the CPP believes that transfer of the second cutter to the Navy “further heightens” tension and is “provoking” China.
“Yesterday, officials of the US Congress announced that its Foreign Relations Committee is about to wrap up the decision to transfer the US naval cutter Dallas by the end of the week and plans to sail it to the Philippines soon thereafter. The naval cutter Dallas was commissioned by the US Coast Guard in 1967,” it said.
But defense and military officials averred that the acquisition of new war materiél is part of the long-stalled modernization program of the Armed Forces and has nothing to do with the dispute over the Spratly Islands.
The government earlier announced that it was also negotiating with the US government for the acquisition of several F-16 “Fighting Falcon” jet fighters.
Gazmin, together with a team from the Department of National Defense’s newly formed Acquisition Defense System (ADS), went to Italy to sign a five-year contract with that country’s Defense Ministry for the acquisition of fighter-bomber jets, a frigate, a destroyer and unmanned surveillance aircrafts, among others.
Gazmin said the government is working on an earmarked P70-billion budget to boost the military’s capability in territorial defense.
No permanent bases in PHL, exec says
A SENIOR US official said despite the growing need to increase security engagement with the Philippines, the US still does not plan to have permanent bases in the country but remains committed to helping the country address internal security threats.
Andrew Shapiro, State Department assistant secretary for political and military affairs, said the Philippines’s internal security threat has now shifted from terrorism to maritime concerns as the country continues to raise concerns on the Chinese intrusions in the disputed islands on the South China Sea.
During his visit to the Philippines, Shapiro met with senior officials from the Departments of National Defense and of Foreign Affairs to discuss measures on redirecting US military assistance to address internal security threats.
Shapiro said the traditional military assistance that the US gave to the Philippines for fighting terrorism in Mindanao, gave the country “great successes” as proven by the recent deaths of top bandit and terrorist leaders operating in the southern Philippines.
“Given the progress in addressing that threat [terrorism], we can transition our support toward maritime security,” said Shapiro in a press briefing on Friday with Manila-based journalists.
“Discussions [focused] on how to deepen partnerships and to work very closely for support to the Philippines’s internal security and with their maritime security needs as well,” said Shapiro.
Shapiro said the US Congress has recently approved transfer of US military equipment [Coast Guard Cutter] that will further help in the Philippines’s maritime security needs. The US also intends to increase humanitarian assistance in disaster areas.
He reiterated that Washington does not intend to set up permanent bases in the Philippines amid recent decisions to strengthen military cooperation.
He said the 600 US troops in Mindanao are still there but will not be stationed in the country permanently.
“We have no plans for bases here… we are talking about ways, in which at the invitation of the Philippine government... we can work together to help support security needs,” said Shapiro.
Asked if the US plan to strengthen maritime security of the Philippines is aimed to counter China’s increased military buildup on the South China Sea, he said, “Our goal in this dialogue is to help the Philippines with their defense needs as they identify them. It is best to work together in a number of different defense needs... and it is not designed to target any country… it is [aimed] to address the security requirement of the Philippines.”
Shapiro maintained that, “the US has not taken a position on the claims [on the South China Sea], we believe it will not be resolved through the use of force. We will continue to press that point to all the parties, that’s been the US policy under the Obama administration.”
Dipetik dari - Business Mirror
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