On Monday, the Philippines identified four additional military bases that the United States could use, one near the disputed South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan .

The media office of the Philippine presidency said in a statement that the four sites are "appropriate and mutually beneficial."

The bases will also be used in humanitarian operations and disaster response, according to the same source.
During a visit by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to the Philippines in early February, the two allies announced an agreement allowing the US military to use four additional bases "in strategic areas" of the Southeast Asian country.

Washington and Manila have been allies for decades and are linked by a defense treaty concluded in 2014, known as the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which allows US forces to use five Philippine bases and store military equipment and materials there.

The number was increased to nine in February without specifying the location of the four additional bases. A Philippine official told AFP at the time that talks were continuing on a possible base ten.

The statement stated that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos had approved the use of three bases in the north of the country, including a naval base and airport in Cagayan province and a camp in neighboring Isabela province.

Santa Ana Naval Base is located in Cagayan Province, about 400 kilometers from Taiwan.
The fourth base is located in the Palac archipelago, off the southern tip of Palawan Island (west), near the South China Sea.

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba has publicly opposed giving US military access to bases in his province for fear of jeopardizing Chinese investment and turning it into a target in the dispute over Taiwan.

But the Philippines' acting defense secretary, Carlito Galvez, recently told reporters that the government has made its decision on the rules and that Governor Mamba has agreed to "comply with the decision."

The United States seeks to strengthen its relations with Manila, after it has witnessed tension in recent years. Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte preferred cooperation with China at the expense of Washington, the former colonizer of the Philippines.

But the new Philippine government of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to strengthen its partnership with Washington, spurred on by Beijing's claims over Taiwan and the establishment of Chinese bases in the South China Sea.

About 500 US military personnel are currently stationed in the Philippines, with more coming inside the country for joint exercises.

Beijing recently criticized the military agreement, and the Chinese embassy in the Philippines considered it part of "American efforts to surround and contain China through its military alliance with this country."

The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment after this latest announcement.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, although a court ruling in The Hague confirmed that its claims had no legal basis. Parts of the area are claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

Beijing also considers the island of democracy part of its territory, vowing to restore it in the future, even by force if necessary.