THE United States’ offer of $500 million in additional funding for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) drew mixed reactions from various sector including the Chinese government and local legislators.
Obviously irked by the offer, China warned that the Philippines risks “greater insecurity for itself.”
Beijing’s foreign ministry warned Manila’s act of “wooing countries from outside the region to provoke confrontation in the South China Sea will only undermine regional stability and aggravate tensions”.
“Trying to introduce external forces to protect its own security will only lead to greater insecurity for itself, and it might even become someone else’s pawn,” spokesman Lin Jian said.
However, Senate President Francis Escudero said the $500-million military assistance from the US will not agitate China in its claim of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“I do not think this will provoke or agitate China because strengthening one’s own military, like them and most countries, in order to keep the peace is the right and obligation of every country,” Escudero said.
But Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III disagreed, saying the assistance would not benefit Filipino farmers and fishermen.
“Why doesn’t America make an unprecedented investment in our agricultural sector?” he asked. “Why always military hardware?”
House leaders welcomed the unprecedented $500-million military financing commitment from Washington, citing its significance for the nation’s defense capabilities and the strong alliance between the two countries.
Quezon Rep. David Suarez, Assistant Majority Leader Ernesto Dionisio Jr., and Committee on Dangerous Drugs chairman and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers lauded the announcement made by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during their meeting with Philippine officials in Malacañang.
Suarez also highlighted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s stance on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and national sovereignty, as emphasized during his recent State of the Nation Address.
“This is a welcome development for us because this further shows that the position of the President is also shared by other world leaders when it comes to sovereignty of our country,” Suarez said.
Blinken described the offer as a “once in a generation investment” to help modernise the Philippine armed forces and coast guard.
The latest high-level US visit follows a series of escalating confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed waterway that have raised concern that Washington could be dragged into a conflict due to its mutual defence treaty with Manila.
The Philippines’ proximity to the hotly contested South China Sea, as well as self-ruled Taiwan, would make it a key partner for the United States if a conflict were to break out in the region.
Beijing claims almost the entire waterway, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis, and considers democratic Taiwan to be part of its territory. With AFP
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Philippines receives $500 million in military aid from US
