The US military is in talks to build a Taiwan-facing port in the northernmost Philippine islands, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The proposed project would be in the Batanes islands, less than 125 miles from Taiwan. US involvement in the project would raise tensions with Beijing, as Washington is openly preparing for a future fight over Taiwan.
Earlier this year, Washington and Manila inked a deal that gives the US access to four more military bases in the Philippines, bringing the total number of US military facilities in the country to nine. Three of the new US bases will be in the northern Philippines, but not as far north as the Batanes.
Marilou Cayco, governor of Batanes, told Reuters that the purpose of the new project would be to build an “alternative port” for shipments from Manila during rough seas in the monsoon season. Cayco said that she approached the US to provide funding for the construction.
Two unnamed Philippine officials told Reuters that US troops had recently visited Batanes to discuss the potential new port. Cayco said a decision is expected to be made in October.
The US military’s involvement in the construction would likely guarantee its access to the port, giving the US another launch point to fight a potential war over Taiwan. The port would be on the Bashi Channel, a strategic waterway that separates the Philippines’ northern islands from Taiwan.
Why did China build it’s manmade island military bases for? Because they know something.
What do think they might know?
NATO made plans to choke China using the South China Sea. Same with Ukraine and Crimea to choke Russia. NATO failed.
I wonder what they’ll destroy to build their base?
Peace?
Just another target for Chinese missiles .
Before WW2, the US planned for the defense of the Philippines from Japanese attacks coming from what is now Taiwan, and the Japanese planned such attacks. These islets were carefully considered.
The US deemed them indefensible and not useful, and did nothing to prepare them. They remained a small fishing village living among rish, shallow fishing grounds. A small airstrip was built, a radio station, and one school.
On the same day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor it made a landing on these islets. Two days later, it pulled out again, deeming them of no practical use because what passed for their harbor was exposed to such a high surf, and the air strip could not be expanded for lack of land.
Now the US is planning for operations toward Taiwan, it will find the same conditions as Japan found. Perhaps at great expense it can create some sort of sea wall, and backfill some land (as China does reefs) to get more space for aircraft. A lot of money could be dumped into this, since such work has famously been very expensive elsewhere.
However, it will remain not much more than the reef islets China has been building, which the US constantly belittles.
No doubt this will be a place for the missiles the Marines now plan to base all around China, with little garrisons isolated and vulnerable. It will be more Wake Island defense.