The US secures new military deal with Manila to expand its military presence in the region, amidst tension with China over issues pertaining to Taiwan and South China Sea, reports Dailymails on Thursday. According to the report,  Biden Administration appears to be withdrawing from the commitments made by the US President to his Chinese counterpart about non interference into China’s internal affairs by the US and that the US would stand by its 5 NOs pledge that it made with Beijing decades ago -American officials reported to be intensifying efforts to build a giant stockpile of weapons in their Philippines bases for subsequent use in a possible military engagement in South China Sea over Taiwan -Manila and President Marcos Jr. advised by well-wishers’ to stay away from being pawn of the US policies in the region and to keep a balance of ties with US and China both, maintaining Philippines own sovereign Foreign Policies-China offers, Scholarships, trade and agricultural development while the USoffers tools of war and destruction to Philippines -People of the Philippines find Manila at crossroad to choose between the path of destruction or to march on the road to prosperity, peace and development by negating US military desire and by maintaining good and balanced relations with both Washington and Beijing by not becoming part of any C

By Makhdoom Babar
President &
Editor-in-Chief

( With input from Sandra Johnson in Washington DC, Marina Aquino in Manila and Katherine Alderman in Canberra) With the US securing a new military deal with Manila, last week, to expand its military presence in the region, amidst tension with China over the issues pertaining to Taiwan and South China Sea, Philippines has emerged as a new hotspot for Washington’s China provoking or China containment operations, reveal the findings of The Daily Mail’s Investigations Cell. The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that despite a very optimistic and promising meeting between the US President Joe Biden and the Chinese President Xi Jinping, last year on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit, Biden Administration appears to be withdrawing from the commitments made by the US President to his Chinese counterpart during their last meeting in which Chinese President was once again assured by his US counterpart of the non interference into China’s internal affairs by the US and that the US would stand by With the US securing a new military deal with Manila, last week, to expand its military presence in the region, amidst tension with China over the issues pertaining to Taiwan and South China Sea, Philippines has emerged as a new hotspot for Washington’s China provoking or China containment operations, reveal the findings of The Daily Mail’s Investigations Cell.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that despite a very optimistic and promising meeting between the US President Joe Biden and the Chinese President Xi Jinping, last year on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit, Biden Administration appears to be withdrawing from the commitments made by the US President to his Chinese counterpart during their last meeting in which Chinese President was once again assured by his US counterpart of the non interference into China’s internal affairs by the US and that the US would stand by its 5 NOs pledge that it made with Beijing decades ago and that both side would respect each other’s trade and diplomatic policies to ensure a steady global peace and development.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that Back in 1979, United States made a clear commitment in the China-US Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations The Joint Communiqué stated that “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” Apart from this document, US signed a total of three historic documents with China that are regarded as the fundamental political documents and these three agreements or documents ensured stability and progress in bilateral ties over five decades, Washington, in all the three documents very clearly acknowledged that “there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China. However, with the process out time, US started moving away from its commitments, made in these historic documents and eventually completely withdrew from the “Five NOs” , it committed in those agreements that included that US wont seek a “new Cold War”; It won’t seek to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support “Taiwan independence” and that Washington won’t look for conflict with China.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that a tester that the US used to gauge the regional and global response to its mingling in China’s internal affairs and to breach One-China Principle, by sending U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on an Official Visit to Taiwan last year, didn’t work well for Washington and the global response to this Us mischief pushed White House to back foot. This global response and above all very strong reaction and response from China itself was enough to move the in the lead-up to the G-20 Summit at Bali, Indonesia in November last year and the US officials contacted their Chinese counterparts in order to arrange a meeting between Biden and Xi, and the meeting between the two occurred on 14 November, taking three hours. The meeting was designated to help restore relations and communication between the two countries, Joe Biden later declared that there would not be a “New Cold War” between the US and China.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that while the Nancy Pelosi move didn’t work well and rather backfired and while Joe Biden was trying to satisfy his Chinese counterpart that Washington had no intentions to mess with One-China Policy and that the US did not want any sort of a New Cold War with China and Biden ordered his Defense and Diplomatic team heads to start engaging with their Chinese counterparts to forge peace and stability which resulted into meeting between US Defense Secretary a month later and the annulment of Washington to send its Secretary of State Tony Blinken to Beijing, the Washington was actually deep down in another game to further encircle and contain China.
The Daily Mail’s investigation further indicate that after the Nancy Pelosi’s visit debacle, Washington decided to sandwich China over Taiwan via Philippines.

These investigations indicate that less than a month after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made his first visit to China, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the Philippines. After the meeting with his Philippine counterpart, Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez, Austin announced the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the two countries. He also added that a great decision had been made by the Philippine government for another four military bases for the United States. Under the EDCA, the U.S. military will not only be able to rotate in the Philippines but also access Philippine bases and facilities.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that from former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s suspension of the termination of the U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in June 2020 to its restoration in July 2021, which was followed by the announcement of the Joint Vision for a 21st Century United States-Philippines Partnership in November 2021, and then the resumption of the U.S.-Philippines “Balikatan” military exercise in April 2022 and till the latest development involving EDCA, everything regarding the US-Philippines ties and engagement is focused by US , merely on encircling China and threatening One-China Policy via Taiwan mischief.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that in August 2022, Washington sends, Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, a move that backfires strongly, next month US invites Philippines President Marcos Jr. for the first time, less than three months after he assumed office ( amidst the fact that In 2011, a Hawaii court fined Marcos and his mother Imelda Marcos $353mn for contempt of court in a case stemming from human rights violations during the martial law rule imposed by his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Despite that standing court order, Washington publicly reassured Marcos he could enter the US without the risk of detention) , in October The United States announces $100 million in foreign military financing to the Philippines, terming it as part of efforts to boost the Southeast Asian country’s defense capabilities and military modernization, next month, Americans seek an appointment with Chinese President for a meeting with the US President, in February, US Secretary of State cancels visit to China, hiding behind the notions of US detecting some spying weather balloons of China from Hawai and a couple of weeks later, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits the Philippines to upgrade military ties with aim to make the Philippines an important part of U.S. deterrence for China in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that this all exposes actual US intentions towards peace, stability and sincerity in talks with China simply crystal clearly to everyone across the globe. The announcement that the U.S. military is expanding its presence in the Philippines leaves little doubt that the United States is positioning itself to constrain China and bolstering its ability to make military intervention in Taiwan. This announcement comes as only the latest in a series of moves by the Biden administration to expand military alliances and partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region with an eye toward countering China, especially as tensions over Taiwan rise. The US Defense Secretary announced a deal to give the U.S. military access to four more bases in the Philippines, bringing the total to nine adding that the greater military presence “sends a deterrent message to China.” This announcement signals that the United States could use its own armed forces to push back harder against the Chinese military in the South China Sea.

The Daily Mail’s investigations reveal that the US officials are going to use the previous 5 and newly acquired 4 Military bases in Philippines to create a stockpile of arsenal for Taiwan. These investigations indicate that during the early 1990s, the United States had nearly 6,000 troops permanently based in the Philippines but under the new basing plan, that figure would be dramatically lower, with a combination of uniformed U.S. service members, American civilian contractors, and local Filipino contractors and security personnel. “Our actual presence will be very limited and temporary,” says Joseph H. Felter, a former top Pentagon official on Southeast Asia.

These investigations further indicate that American officials are intensifying efforts to build a giant stockpile of weapons in the Philippines bases for subsequent use in a possible military engagement in South China Sea over Taiwan. These investigations indicate that since the US effort to transform Taiwan into a weapons depot faces challenges it has decided to stockpile the same on enhanced military locations across the Philippines. Some of the US military observers are of the opinion that If China decides to establish a naval blockade around Taiwan, American officials would probably study which avenue of resupplying Taiwan — by sea or by air — would offer the least likelihood of bringing Chinese and American ships, aircraft and submarines into direct conflict. One proposition would involve sending U.S. cargo planes with supplies from bases in Japan and Guam to Taiwan’s east coast while the other could be shipping it from Bases in Philippines and to turn South China Sea into a battlefield.
. According to an anonymity seeking former State Department official, and a retired Navy official, Taiwan needs “a large number of small things” in the open waters, and that some of such supplies from the United States, including Harpoon and Stinger missiles, can meet the needs from Philippines locations.

“The sheer amount of materiel that would likely be needed in case of war is formidable, and getting them through would be difficult, though may be doable,” says Eric Wertheim, a defense consultant and author of “The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World.” “The question is: How much risk is China and the White House willing to take in terms of enforcing or breaking through a blockade, respectively, and can it be sustained?” It clearly indicates that the US intentions while acquiring new military basis in the {Philippines is to drag this country with broken economy into a lethal game in the South China Sea and to transform the SCS into a deadly flashpoint by dragging China into a skirmish here and thus not only destroying the regional peace but also put the global peace at risk nonetheless opening up a new Cold War Era.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that the Philippine government and President Marcos Jr. in particular has been advised by a few credible and serious minded think tanks from ASEAN States to stay away from being pawn of the US policies in the region and to keep a balance of ties with US and China both, maintaining Philippines own sovereign Foreign Policies. The Daily Mail’s investigations reveal that President Marcos Jr. has been advised that the acquiring of new military bases by US has aroused great concern in China, and the issue is extremely sensitive. People are worried about potential military operations jointly launched by the United States and its allies and partners targeting China. Therefore, the Philippines needs to accurately understand China’s concerns over defense cooperation. In other words, if the Philippines wants its balancing act to work, it needs to delicately develop relations with the U.S. without provoking China. Philippines President has also been advised to draw a clear line between normal cooperation with the U.S. Navy and its involvement in any U.S. confrontation with China and that the Philippine government immensely needs to avoid escalating tensions in the South China Sea as if there is the slightest mistake, the Philippines’ U.S.-China balancing act will slip into dangerous imbalance.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that Article II Section 7 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution expressly states that: “The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy.” To prevent the Philippines from being overly dependent on any one country, and to increase strategic capability and diplomatic freedom of action, the Philippines must get its own house in order, which includes making it a priority to rectify structural and domestic constraints preventing comprehensive development and continuous stability. These investigations indicate that Beijing has declared agriculture, infrastructure, energy and people-to-people relations the “big four” priorities in bilateral ties for the Philippines, matching Marcos’s own agenda. Moreover, Beijing is very sincerely establishing links with the Philippine establishment by offering cheap and easily accessible English-language scholarships in China for government and military officials. Just recently, China set up an association for alumni of its defense college in Nanjing in the Philippine military and organized a photo exhibition celebrating bilateral relations at the Philippines’ Department of Defense.

Under the background of these media investigations, it leaves clearly up to the government and the people of the Philippines to chose the path of destruction or to march on the road to prosperity, peace and development by negating US military desire and by maintaining good and balanced relations with both Washington and Beijing by not becoming part of any Cold War Era type alliance. its 5 NOs pledge that it made with Beijing decades ago and that both side would respect each other’s trade and diplomatic policies to ensure a steady global peace and development.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that Back in 1979, United States made a clear commitment in the China-US Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations The Joint Communiqué stated that “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” Apart from this document, US signed a total of three historic documents with China that are regarded as the fundamental political documents and these three agreements or documents ensured stability and progress in bilateral ties over five decades, Washington, in all the three documents very clearly acknowledged that “there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China. However, with the process out time, US started moving away from its commitments, made in these historic documents and eventually completely withdrew from the “Five NOs” , it committed in those agreements that included that US wont seek a “new Cold War”; It won’t seek to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support “Taiwan independence” and that Washington won’t look for conflict with China.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that a tester that the US used to gauge the regional and global response to its mingling in China’s internal affairs and to breach One-China Principle, by sending U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on an Official Visit to Taiwan last year, didn’t work well for Washington and the global response to this Us mischief pushed White House to back foot. This global response and above all very strong reaction and response from China itself was enough to move the in the lead-up to the G-20 Summit at Bali, Indonesia in November last year and the US officials contacted their Chinese counterparts in order to arrange a meeting between Biden and Xi, and the meeting between the two occurred on 14 November, taking three hours. The meeting was designated to help restore relations and communication between the two countries, Joe Biden later declared that there would not be a “New Cold War” between the US and China.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that while the Nancy Pelosi move didn’t work well and rather backfired and while Joe Biden was trying to satisfy his Chinese counterpart that Washington had no intentions to mess with One-China Policy and that the US did not want any sort of a New Cold War with China and Biden ordered his Defense and Diplomatic team heads to start engaging with their Chinese counterparts to forge peace and stability which resulted into meeting between US Defense Secretary a month later and the annulment of Washington to send its Secretary of State Tony Blinken to Beijing, the Washington was actually deep down in another game to further encircle and contain China.
The Daily Mail’s investigation further indicate that after the Nancy Pelosi’s visit debacle, Washington decided to sandwich China over Taiwan via Philippines. These investigations indicate that less than a month after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made his first visit to China, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the Philippines. After the meeting with his Philippine counterpart, Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez, Austin announced the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the two countries. He also added that a great decision had been made by the Philippine government for another four military bases for the United States. Under the EDCA, the U.S. military will not only be able to rotate in the Philippines but also access Philippine bases and facilities.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that from former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s suspension of the termination of the U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in June 2020 to its restoration in July 2021, which was followed by the announcement of the Joint Vision for a 21st Century United States-Philippines Partnership in November 2021, and then the resumption of the U.S.-Philippines “Balikatan” military exercise in April 2022 and till the latest development involving EDCA, everything regarding the US-Philippines ties and engagement is focused by US , merely on encircling China and threatening One-China Policy via Taiwan mischief.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that in August 2022, Washington sends, Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, a move that backfires strongly, next month US invites Philippines President Marcos Jr. for the first time, less than three months after he assumed office ( amidst the fact that In 2011, a Hawaii court fined Marcos and his mother Imelda Marcos $353mn for contempt of court in a case stemming from human rights violations during the martial law rule imposed by his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Despite that standing court order, Washington publicly reassured Marcos he could enter the US without the risk of detention) , in October The United States announces $100 million in foreign military financing to the Philippines, terming it as part of efforts to boost the Southeast Asian country’s defense capabilities and military modernization, next month, Americans seek an appointment with Chinese President for a meeting with the US President, in February, US Secretary of State cancels visit to China, hiding behind the notions of US detecting some spying weather balloons of China from Hawai and a couple of weeks later, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits the Philippines to upgrade military ties with aim to make the Philippines an important part of U.S. deterrence for China in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that this all exposes actual US intentions towards peace, stability and sincerity in talks with China simply crystal clearly to everyone across the globe. The announcement that the U.S. military is expanding its presence in the Philippines leaves little doubt that the United States is positioning itself to constrain China and bolstering its ability to make military intervention in Taiwan. This announcement comes as only the latest in a series of moves by the Biden administration to expand military alliances and partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region with an eye toward countering China, especially as tensions over Taiwan rise. The US Defense Secretary announced a deal to give the U.S. military access to four more bases in the Philippines, bringing the total to nine adding that the greater military presence “sends a deterrent message to China.” This announcement signals that the United States could use its own armed forces to push back harder against the Chinese military in the South China Sea.

The Daily Mail’s investigations reveal that the US officials are going to use the previous 5 and newly acquired 4 Military bases in Philippines to create a stockpile of arsenal for Taiwan. These investigations indicate that during the early 1990s, the United States had nearly 6,000 troops permanently based in the Philippines but under the new basing plan, that figure would be dramatically lower, with a combination of uniformed U.S. service members, American civilian contractors, and local Filipino contractors and security personnel. “Our actual presence will be very limited and temporary,” says Joseph H. Felter, a former top Pentagon official on Southeast Asia.

These investigations further indicate that American officials are intensifying efforts to build a giant stockpile of weapons in the Philippines bases for subsequent use in a possible military engagement in South China Sea over Taiwan. These investigations indicate that since the US effort to transform Taiwan into a weapons depot faces challenges it has decided to stockpile the same on enhanced military locations across the Philippines. Some of the US military observers are of the opinion that If China decides to establish a naval blockade around Taiwan, American officials would probably study which avenue of resupplying Taiwan — by sea or by air — would offer the least likelihood of bringing Chinese and American ships, aircraft and submarines into direct conflict. One proposition would involve sending U.S. cargo planes with supplies from bases in Japan and Guam to Taiwan’s east coast while the other could be shipping it from Bases in Philippines and to turn South China Sea into a battlefield.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP