Asia | The indispensable archipelago

The Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan makes it central to Western strategy

America has secured access to nine military bases in its former Asian colony

A U.S. Marine CH53 helicopter takes off during an annual U.S.-Philippines joint military exercise titled Balikatan, Tagalog for "shoulder-to-shoulder", on the beaches of Claveria, Cagayan province, northern Philippines, Thursday, March 31, 2022. U.S. and Filipino marines sprang from amphibious vehicles and transport helicopters to defend an island from potential aggressors during a military exercise and show of American firepower staged on Thursday in the northern Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) — Image: AP

Feb 21st 2023|MANILA, TOKYO and WASHINGTON, DC

AmONG the ways in which great-power competition is reordering Asian geopolitics, a new Western focus on the Philippines stands out. The archipelago country of 115m people is not rich, spends little on defence and was until last year led by an anti-American populist. Yet Rodrigo Duterte’s successor, President Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos, has returned the Philippines to its usual pro-Western posture. And with Taiwan on its doorstep, its location and long-standing ties to America have made the country central to Western strategy. As sparring between China and America grows nastier, officials in Washington say the Philippines has become as prominent in their security debates as any Asian country save China itself.