The Philippines has granted the United States expanded access to its military bases, their defence chiefs said on Thursday (February 2), amid mounting concern over China's increasing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea and tensions over self-ruled Taiwan, Reuters reports.
Washington would be given access to four more locations under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Philippines' Defence Secretary Carlito Galvez said in a joint news conference.
Austin, who was in the Philippines for talks as Washington seeks to extend its security options in the country as part of efforts to deter any move by China against self-ruled Taiwan, said he and his counterpart reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering their countries' alliance.
The EDCA allows U.S. access to Philippine military bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and the building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but not a permanent presence.
