Lloyd Austin has claimed that the US is not seeking any permanent basing for its military in the Philippines, preferring rotation instead.
"In terms of the EDCA [Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement] locations... we are not seeking permanent basing in the Philippines ... EDCA is a cooperative agreement that enables rotational activities, and so it is a key pillar of our training," Austin said at a joint press conference with his Philippine counterpart.
Meanwhile, some experts believe that the expansion of the US military presence in the Philippines is a direct challenge to Beijing as Washington seeks to encircle China.
In response, citizens of the Philippines gathered on the streets to protest the expansion of their country's military cooperation with the United States. The Philippine Constitution forbids the permanent deployment of foreign troops in the country and their participation in local conflicts. But the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement gives US troops the right to rotate indefinitely at the Philippine bases and to keep weapons there, except for nuclear arms. As if this was not enough, in early February, the US and Philippine governments agreed to station US troops at four new military bases in the country.
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