The Philippines may offer base to US in case of Taiwan emergency

In the event of an armed conflict between the U.S. and China in the Taiwan Strait, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (photo) said that it would be difficult to conceive of a scenario in which the Philippines is not involved. In an interview with the Nikkei on Monday, the president mentioned, “I hope there will be no conflict (in Taiwan), but we feel we are on the frontline.”

The newspaper reported that the comment from the president, who completed his visit to Japan the previous day, implies that the country will allow its military base to be used by the U.S. army in case of armed conflict.

When asked whether he has the intention to offer military bases to the U.S. when conflict takes place in the Taiwan Strait, the president said, “The Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) (with the United States) does not include situations in which a battle breaks out. It is necessary to determine what is beneficial to the Philippines (in case of conflict),” leaving the possibility of providing a military base open.

It is only about 350 kilometers from the northern tip of Luzon Island, where Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is located to the southernmost tip of Taiwan. By signing an EDCA with the U.S. in 2014, the island country allowed the U.S. army to have a station on tour in their military base. The two nations' armies carry out joint exercises, and ammunition and fuel can be stored in the Philippines. On Feb. 2, the nation added four bases where U.S. troops can be stationed on tour, making it a total of nine bases. The Nikkei reported, “The U.S. army seems to be reviewing the option of using the northern base in Luzon island in case of an emergency regarding the Taiwan situation.”


sanghun@donga.com