From the Cuban to the Philippine Crisis

Bases and Missiles

The Philippines is systematically expanding its military cooperation with the United States. It has granted the USA permission for the optional use of a total of nine Philippine military bases – particularly including, those situated in the vicinity of Taiwan or in the South China Sea, the region’s main theaters of conflict. Following the expansion of their joint maneuvers as well as other measures, US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin and the Philippine Minister of Defense, Gilberto Teodoro signed an agreement on the exchange of secret military information last week (November 18). This enhances the interoperability between the two countries’ armed forces and provides the Philippines with access to certain US military equipment that cannot effectively function without access to the corresponding US data – for example, for intermediate range weapons. The procurement of the US Typhon missile system, capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, had been approved in August by Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner.[1] November 18, a new combined coordination center was inaugurated at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila to further enable information sharing between US and Philippine forces.[2]

Advanced Posts

In addition, the United States is increasingly focusing more attention on its own military activities at its advanced posts in the Philippines. Defense Secretary Austin met on November 19 with some American service members deployed to US Task Force Ayungin, stationed on the Palawan Island in the southwest of the Philippines. Ayungin is the Philippine name of the shoal in the South China Sea, internationally known as the Second Thomas Shoal and as Ren'ai Jiao in China, which also lays claim to it. The Task Force Ayungin’s job is to furnish the Philippine military with intelligence and surveillance data pertaining to the shoal.[3] Washington is thereby providing Manila with concrete support in this escalating military conflict over that shoal. The United States has additionally reached agreements with both the Philippines and Japan, that in the event of a Taiwan contingency, state-of-the-art missiles will be stationed in both countries – on Japan’s southwestern islands and in regions in the far north of the Philippines – to be able to operate as close as possible to the conflict zone.[4] Concrete preparations for these measures are now in progress, as was explicitly confirmed by a spokesperson for the Philippine armed forces.

Claims Cemented

Meanwhile, the Philippines is fueling the escalation of the South China Sea on its own. November 8, Manila enacted two new laws, one of which –a Maritime Zones Act – inscribes, for the first time, as a law, the country’s claims to islands and maritime regions in the South China Sea, while the other – The Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act – stipulates which sea routes foreign countries should take, when navigating maritime areas claimed by the Philippines.[5] The Philippines is thereby cementing its conflict with China. The People's Republic of China has accordingly protested the enactment of the two laws. A spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing said the move “seriously infringes on China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.”[6] The United States, for its part, lauded Manila’s thrust. The speaker for the state department was quoted to say “the United States values Philippine leadership in upholding international law, particularly in the South China Sea,” In the future, Washington would support Manila in the enforcement of these laws.[7]

The Main Troublemaker

Should it do so, it will soon be in conflict with Malaysia, because some of the islands and maritime areas Manila is claiming, are also seen in Kuala Lumpur as Malaysian territory. Accordingly, Malaysia’s deputy foreign minister Mohamad Alamin announced, November 14, that the country’s government would immediately issue an official protest to the Philippines against those laws.[8] As Benjamin Blandin, an employee at the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies, notes, from Malaysia’s perspective, the Philippines are even “the main troublemaker” in the South China Sea. Already back in the 1970s, for example, when Ferdinand Marcos, the father of the current president, dictatorially reigned over the Philippines, ti destroyed Malaysia’s sovereignty markings in the South China Sea, and later, even occupied one of the reefs, that was clearly in Malaysian waters – the Commodore Reef.[9] In addition, Manila still is laying claim to areas of the Malaysian state of Sabah, located in the far northeast of the island of Borneo – using the justification that at some time the last Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram II (1894 – 1915) had signed it over to the Philippines. Ferdinand Marcos Sr. had once considered annexing Sabah militarily.[10]

The German Navy in Manila

All of this is important for Germany, not least because the German government seeks to intensify its cooperation with the Philippines, aimed particularly at close military cooperation, in joint actions by Western countries and their Asian allies against China. Berlin is not only interested in recruiting labor – mainly nursing staff –from the Philippines to Germany. In early August, Boris Pistorius was the first West German defense minister ever to hold talks with his Philippine counterpart Teodoro in Manila. The purpose was to “give new impetus” to relations between the two countries, and “to soon sign a bilateral departmental agreement,” Pistorius explained in the Philippine capital. According to the German Bundeswehr, this would lead to “long-term relations between the two armed forces,” but also toward “possible cooperation in the field of armaments.”[11] It could involve, for example, “air defense, coastal protection” and the joint procurement of transport aircraft, but also “training cooperation and expert discussions in the course of bilateral activities.” The first practical steps have already been taken – particularly the port call to Manila this year by the Frigate Baden-Wurttemberg and the task force provider Frankfurt am Main as a leg of their Asia-Pacific cruise.[12] More steps will follow.

[1] Jeoffrey Maitem: Philippines to host advanced US missile unit as China slams move to 'heighten tensions'. scmp.com 26.11.2024.

[2] Austin Marks Deepening U.S.-Philippine Ties During Visit to Manila. defense.gov 18.11.2024.

[3] Raissa Robles: 'A clear signal to China': US task force backs Philippine operations in South China Sea. scmp.com 26.11.2024.

[4] Jeoffrey Maitem: Philippines to host advanced US missile unit as China slams move to 'heighten tensions'. scmp.com 26.11.2024.

[5], [6] Jim Gomez: Philippine president angers China with new laws to demarcate South China Sea territories. apnews.com 08.11.2024.

[7] Bea Cupin: US touts 'PH leadership' after Marcos signs law that defines maritime zones. rappler.com 09.11.2024.

[8] Sebastian Strangio: Malaysia to Protest Passage of Philippine Maritime Laws, Government Says. thediplomat.com 15.11.2024.

[9] Iman Muttaqin Yusof: Malaysia protests new Philippine maritime laws for South China Sea encroachment. benarnews.org 14.11.2024.

[10] Sebastian Strangio: Malaysia to Protest Passage of Philippine Maritime Laws, Government Says. thediplomat.com 15.11.2024.

[11] Amina Vieth: Pistorius in Manila: Engere Kooperationen bei Rüstung und Ausbildung vereinbart. bmvg.de 04.08.2024.

[12] Manila: Die Marine auf den Philippinen. bmvg.de.