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Obama in East Asia

This is not about China. That has been the theme of Baracks Obamas
four-nation trip to East Asia. Yet China loomed lare o!er stops in
"apan# $outh %orea and &ala'sia. And in the (hilippines toda'# China
)as front and center.
On &onda' mornin# local time# the *.$. and the (hilippines sined a
1+ 'ear pact that )ill i!e *.$. planes# )arships and troops more
access to the archipelaic nation. The *.$. )ill not reestablish a
permanent base# but )ill rotate troops throuh. The deal# officiall'
called the Enhanced ,efense Cooperation Areement# took eiht
months of neotiation# and i!es some substance to the Obamas
administrations -pi!ot to Asia.
At a .oint press conference in &anila# (resident Obama insisted the
deal )as not about th)artin Chinas rise. /Our oal is not to counter
China. Our oal is not to contain China. Our oal is to make sure
international rules and norms are respected and that includes in the
area of international disputes#0 he said.
Krystyne Joy Millette G. Asuncion
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2is counterpart# (resident
Benino $. A3uino 444#
said the areement )as
about deepenin *.$.-
(hilippine ties and )ould
promote /reional peace
and securit'.0
China bes to differ.
5ocked in territorial
disputes )ith the
(hilippines# "apan and
others# Bei.in sees *.$.
in!ol!ement in East Asia
as un)elcome
interference. 4n an
editorial published less
than an hour
after the areement )as
officiall' sined# state-
backed ne)s)ire 6inhua
blasted the pact# callin
the (hilippines a /trouble-
maker in the $outh China
$ea0 and )arnin the *.$.
that its plans ma' backfire.
/7i!en that the (hilippines
is at a bitter territorial ro)
)ith China# the mo!e is
particularl' disturbin as it
ma' embolden &anila in
dealin )ith Bei.in#0 it
read.
The areement is no less
contentious )ithin the
(hilippines. The countr'
has a lon and
complicated histor' )ith
*nited $tates# particularl'
the *.$. Armed 8orces.
The (hilippines spent 9++
'ears as a $panish colon'
before bein /liberated0
b' the *.$. in 1:;:. <hat
follo)ed )as a brutal
(hilippine-American )ar
and the *.$. coloni=ation
of the islands. <hen the
(hilippines became
independent in 1;>?# the
Americans left behind
massi!e militar' bases @
and )ith them a )ell-
documented leac' of
Krystyne Joy Millette G. Asuncion
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rihts abuses and en!ironmental problems.
&ore than a decade of anti-militar' acti!ism led to the closure# in
1;;1# of *.$. bases. But the Americans ne!er full' )ithdre). *.$.
forces ha!e maintained a small but continuous presence# conductin
trainin eAercises and# since 1++1# anti-terror operations as part of the
so-called 7lobal <ar on Terror. 8or a dedicated block of acti!ists# the
fact that the *.$. militar' still has boots on the round is tantamount to
neo-colonialism. $ome staed protests outside the *.$. embass' in
&anila last )eek.
/4 think people are anr' that this )as neotiated behind close doors
and made public after it )as sined#0 sa's AleA &ano# former
professor of political of science at the *ni!ersit' of the (hilippines
,iliman# no) a political commenter for the (hilippine $tar. /4t is bein
sold to the public as an enhancement of our national defense BbutC
Obama tries to tone do)n that eApectation b' sa'in that it is not
Americas role to counter China.0
Krystyne Joy Millette G. Asuncion