Скачать или смотреть U.S. Supported Philippine Northernmost Batanes Island Becoming China's Newest Choke Point

Escalating tensions between China and Taiwan, have forced the United States and its ally the Philippines—whose northernmost point province of Batanes, which is less than 100 miles from Taiwan—to intensify its focus on a potential cross-strait conflict. Until now, Manila has prioritized Beijing's growing encroachment into the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea.
To strengthen the country’s territorial defense against threat brought by China, the armed forces of the Philippines directed the military to increase the number of troops stationed at the northernmost island, specifically the remote Batanes Island. With the latest naval installations last year, Washington and Manila called for the development of more infrastructure on the island which will be funded partly by the United States.
These include ports that can accommodates large vessels, Airport improvement to cater bigger aircraft, and other facilities to be used during crises, including humanitarian and disaster relief. The fact that some of these exercises were integrated into the annual United States–Philippines Balikatan exercise, is also significant because it demonstratively mainstreams the alliance's attention on Taiwan-related threats.
In addition, the Philippine built a new Coast Guard station on Itbayat, to response increasing Chinese vessels observed in the Luzon Strait. The Philippines is taking full advantage of Batanes Group of Island as a strategic location to deter China’s ambitious expansion into the pacific, which taking its effort to control Taiwan.


But a future Taiwan scenario—how the Philippines might react and potentially support its security ally, the United States, if the latter were to intervene—if war in Taiwan Broke. It is now the beginning, to take up more, of Manila's bandwidth. U.S. and Philippine forces are contributing to the new defense strategy with an obvious focus on Taiwan.


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