The strongest it has ever been

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III recently visited the country. They immediately met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and discussed the country's Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites. Five-hundred million dollars in military aid to the country will be given as tensions with China rise. The aid package was called "unprecedented” and said to be a "once-in-a-generation investment” to help modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.

A total of $128 million is for important infrastructure projects at EDCA sites, particularly the four new sites in northern Cagayan which is close to Taiwan. The Marcos administration is clearly shifting closer to America compared to the shift to China by former president Duterte. Blinken stated: “Washington’s relationship with Manila is the strongest that it has ever been.” I hope this large aid goes where it is intended, and not somewhere else, such as the pockets of corrupt individuals, whether in public service or the private sector. Just think of the modern weapons and equipment that can be bought for the AFP and Coast Guard. For his part, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the US funding, including those for EDCA, would “serve to secure the Philippines’ credible deterrent posture against unlawful foreign aggression.”

As expected, Beijing was not happy with America's providing a large amount of military aid to the country. China warned, again, on Wednesday that the Philippines "risks greater uncertainty for itself." It says the country is only being used by America. Those statements are par for the course whenever the US provides any kind of military aid to the country. China needs to see that America is not the only one concerned about the situation in the South China Sea. Japan, Australia, and India have also voiced concerns.

President Bongbong Marcos Jr. reiterated that we will not be the first to fire a weapon in anger. China has become aggressive in asserting its false claims of almost the entire ocean compared to when the Duterte administration was in power. Now that we have this pledge of $500 million for the Modernization of the AFP and Coast Guard, China’s actions should be closely monitored. The four new EDCA sites will receive $128 million for important infrastructure projects. These sites are very close to Taiwan and will be fully utilized by the US as per EDCA.

No wonder the Chinese are angry.