06 June 2020
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- Philippines’ Move to Keep US Military Pact Reveals Shift in South China Sea Calculations
Philippines’ Move to Keep US Military Pact Reveals Shift in South China Sea Calculations
The Philippines’ decision to maintain the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which is central to the Philippines-US military alliance, comes as Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea fuels anxiety in the region and as Manila grapples with the coronavirus crisis. Research Fellow Collin Koh Swee Lean at RSIS in Singapore said keeping the VFA, for now at least, will serve as a form of insurance. “Manila’s intention for greater defence self-reliance had been affected by the sharp increases in the Philippine national debt and a ballooning budget deficit due to increased spending on its coronavirus response. This means that in the foreseeable future, there will be a degree of adverse effect on Philippine defence spending which might affect not only the army’s planned acquisitions and modernisation plans, but also the readiness of existing forces,” he said.
IDSS / Print
Last updated on 09/06/2020
