The defense cooperation pact reached with the Philippines is a part of Washington’s “pivot to Asia” to counter China, but the United States is still acting cautiously so as not to provoke Beijing.
China, for its part, held back from pointing an accusatory finger at Washington, indicating that it, too, wants to avoid frictions in the “new model of great power relations.”
Wrapping up his four-nation Asian tour, U.S. President Barack Obama visited Manila and signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement on April 28, which will give American forces access to military camps in the Philippines and allow them to station troops.
After signing the 10-year agreement, Philippine President Benigno Aquino emphasized that the deal “takes our security cooperation to a higher level of engagement, and reaffirms our country’s commitment to mutual defense and security.”
The end of the Cold War and rise of anti-American sentiment in the Philippines forced the U.S. military to withdraw its bases by 1992. But the sense of alarm over China’s maritime advances in the South China Sea prompted Washington and Manila to start negotiations for a new defense cooperation agreement last year.
The Obama administration has been increasingly alarmed by China’s enhanced maritime posture, given the importance of access to sea lanes in the South China Sea. It has made it clear that it will not tolerate any attempt by China to change the status quo in the region by force.
One reason Obama insisted on a new defense agreement with the Philippines was to dismiss criticism at home and abroad that his Asian pivot strategy lacks teeth.
But during a joint news conference on April 28, both Obama and Aquino chose their words carefully and avoided language that could unnecessarily provoke China and heighten tension in the region.
In an interview with a U.S. daily in February, Aquino boldly criticized China’s advancement by comparing it with the territorial ambitions of Nazi Germany.
But Aquino withdrew his criticism against China on April 28, and said the new U.S.-Philippine defense agreement is not directed at a specific country.
“We are not a threat militarily to any country,” Aquino said. “No country should begrudge us our rights to be able to attend to our concerns and our needs.”
While calling for China to respect international laws, Obama also emphasized the goal of the agreement “is not to counter China” or “contain China.”
The president’s remarks during the news conference represent the sense of balance of his diplomatic strategy. Obama needed to quell doubts among U.S. allies that Washington may refuse to offer defense assistance in the event of emergency, as seen in the current crisis in Ukraine. But it also attaches importance to the “new model of great power relations” with China.
There has been criticism of the Obama administration in the United States and internationally that its diplomatic stance is too “weak,” as seen in its response to the crises in Ukraine and Syria.
During the April 28 news conference, a reporter asked how Obama would answer his critics who say his diplomatic “doctrine is weakness.”
“My job as commander in chief is to deploy military force as a last resort, and to deploy it wisely,” Obama said. “The point is, that for some reason, many who were proponents of what I consider to be a disastrous decision to go into Iraq haven’t really learned the lesson of the last decade.”
BEIJING’S RESERVE
In reporting the new U.S.-Philippine defense agreement, the state-run China Central Television harshly criticized the Philippines, using an old saying, “A fox relying on a tiger’s power,” to describe the country. It also pointed out that the defense pact has been criticized in the Philippines as potentially violating the Constitution.
But Beijing has abstained from directly criticizing Washington. During a news conference on April 28, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang pointed out that Obama and other U.S. officials have repeatedly made it clear that the United States has no intention of trying to contain China in the South China Sea.
“For the sake of mutual benefits in the region, China and the United States must strengthen cooperation,” Qin said.
Behind China’s confidence is the agreement between Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping to build a “new model of great power relations” at their summit meeting in March.
Southeast Asian countries are also divided in their commitment to the United States or China.
Facing threats of China’s maritime advance in the South China Sea, the Philippines and Vietnam--which both have territorial disputes with China--count on increasing U.S. influence in the region.
Cambodia and Myanmar are major recipients of China’s overseas aide, and thus tend to side with Beijing.
Malaysia and Singapore pursue even-handed policies that accept the growing U.S. role in the region to maintain power balance, and also place importance on the economic benefits from trade with China.
(This article was compiled from reports by Nanae Kurashige in Beijing and Etsushi Tsuru in Singapore.)
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