THE United States military is in talks to develop a civilian port in Batanes province, the local governor and two other officials told Reuters, a move that would boost American access to strategically located islands facing Taiwan.
US military involvement in the proposed port in the Batanes islands, less than 200 km (125 miles) from Taiwan, could stoke tensions at a time of growing friction with China and a drive by Washington to intensify its longstanding defense treaty engagement with the Philippines.
The Bashi Channel between Batanes islands and Taiwan is considered a choke point for vessels moving between the western Pacific and the contested South China Sea and a key waterway in the case of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The Chinese military regularly sends ships and aircraft through the channel, Taiwan’s defense ministry has said.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed port in Basco.
The reported US plan to develop the port was disclosed as the US and the Philippines marked yesterday the 72nd anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) that requires the two allies to come to each other’s aid in case of foreign invasion or aggression, with the US reaffirming its “ironclad” commitment to defend the Philippines.
The anniversary comes just weeks after another incident of harassment by vessels of the China Coast Guard on Philippine ships on a resupply mission. The US and numerous other countries including the UK and Japan condemned the August 5 incident near the Ayungin Shoal.
Batanes Gov. Marilou Cayco told Reuters in a message she had sought funding from the US for the building of an “an alternative port” there, which was intended to assist the unloading of cargo from Manila, during rough seas in the monsoon season.
She said the plans were to build a port on Basco island, where local authorities say high waves often make the existing port inaccessible, and that a decision could be made in October.
The Philippines has almost doubled the number of its military bases that US forces can access under the US-PH Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, ostensibly for humanitarian assistance, and also has thousands of US troops in the country at any given time, rotating in and out for joint training exercises. China has said these US moves were “stoking the fire” of regional tensions.
RADARS
Two other officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media, said US troops had visited Batanes recently to discuss the port.
One, a senior military official, said the Filipino armed forces were interested in radar and improving monitoring capabilities in the area.
Cayco confirmed the visit, saying they came “one time to assess” the proposed alternative port.
The move comes as Washington pursues closer ties with Asian nations to counter China in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines, its former colony and treaty ally.
Kanishka Gangopadhyay, a spokesperson for the US mbassy in Manila, said US Embassy and US Army Pacific (USARPAC) experts had been engaging the governor and local government, “at their request, to discuss ways USARPAC can support engineering, medical, and agricultural development projects in the province.”
He did not mention the port specifically.
Previous President Rodrigo Duterte had threatened to scrap the US-Philippine alliance and realign the country with Beijing but relations between China and the Philippines have grown tense under current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Marcos has sought closer ties with Washington, granting it access to four more military bases, including several close to Taiwan, though not in Batanes, and announced joint patrols in the South China Sea.
Marcos has said the bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) could prove useful if China attacked Taiwan.
Security officials in Manila said they believed any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait would inevitably affect the Philippines, given its geographic proximity to Taiwan and the presence of over 150,000 Filipinos on the democratically-governed island.
Batanes also served as one of the training sites during this year’s joint military exercises, known as Balikatan, which involved more than 17,000 Filipino and American troops, making it the biggest ever edition of the military drill.
At the time of the exercise, Cayco said she was seeking investment to build seaports and airports in the island province that is home to 18,000 people. The province could harbor Filipinos fleeing Taiwan if conflict breaks out there and residents have been worried about mounting tensions, according to local government officials.
The Philippines and China have also clashed in recent months in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea, with Chinese vessels firing water cannons on a Filipino vessel trying to send supplies to an outpost.
Cayco said she did not have any conversation with the US about EDCA or about radar installations.
She also said there had not yet been discussions about what access the US would have to the proposed port, but troops could use all ports in the area for regular military exercises like the Balikatan.
Jay Batongbacal, maritime affairs expert at the University of the Philippines, said the proposed port “would certainly be needed for the island’s defense in a worst case scenario.”
“If I were a Chinese strategist, I would want to take the Batanes at minimum in order to ensure control of the Luzon straits and use the island to prevent the approach of adversary naval forces,” he said.
COMMITMENT
US Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson, marking the MDT signing in 1951, said, “On the 72nd anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty, the United States stands firm in our ironclad commitment to our alliance and partnership with the Philippines as we face new and continuing challenges.”
The US Embassy in Manila said the MDT serves as the foundation of the two countries’ evolving alliance over the years.
“Our security forces continue to strengthen their capabilities and work together to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it said.
Armed Forces spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said the MDT is important in protecting the Philippines from threats.
“The MDT is one of the pillars of our national security,” said Aguilar on the 72nd anniversary of the signing of the agreement.
“The mechanisms under it shall continue to be implemented to further enhance the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to perform its constitutional duty of protecting our national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Aguilar.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has repeatedly stressed Washington’s commitment to stand by the Philippines and warned Beijing that an attack on a Filipino ship, aircraft or troops in the South China Sea would trigger the MDT.
Under the US Constitution, the President as the commander-in-chief of the military may commit US forces into action overseas, but is obliged to notify Congress within 48 hours of such action. US congressional approval is also needed when US forces are committed abroad beyond 60 days.
COORDINATION
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo yesterday visited the headquarters of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Manila and highlighted the latter’s role in upholding the country’s sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
Manalo’s visit came less than a month after PCG vessels on resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal were blocked by Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ships. The CCG ships even turned its water cannons on the PCG vessels.
During his visit, Manalo held talks with Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Artemio Abu, Commodore Algier Ricafrente and Commodore Jay Tarriela.
Manalo said he highlighted the importance of a “comprehensive and efficient” interagency coordination among all government offices as the country responds to challenges in securing the country’s maritime zones.
He said he also discussed the capabilities as well as the challenges of those in the frontlines, such as the PCG, in asserting the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights in the country’s maritime zones, including the West Philippine Sea.
Abu told Manalo they appreciated the DFA’s support and efforts to foster maritime cooperation with regional partners. — Reuters, Ashzel Hachero and Victor Reyes
