‘A big deal’: US, Philippines tighten military ties

By JIM GOMEZ and ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines says it is allowing U.S. forces to broaden their footprint in that Southeast Asian nation. It is the latest Biden administration move bolstering an arc of Indo-Pacific alliances to better counter China. That includes in any future armed confrontation over Taiwan. The agreement granting U.S. forces access to four more military camps was made public Thursday during a visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. He has led efforts to strengthen America’s security alliances in Asia in the face of China’s increasing assertiveness toward Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.