U.S. and Philippine military personnel conducted a joint inspection of a new Philippine forward operating base in strategic Batanes province, as the allies explore deeper cooperation amid China's threats toward Taiwan. Batanes—an island group in the northernmost part of the Philippines—sits in the strategically critical Luzon Strait. The U.S. views the area as essential to blocking the People's Liberation Army Navy from gaining access to the wider Pacific during a potential conflict.
Its proximity to southern Taiwan also positions the U.S.—which shares a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines—could frustrate a future invasion.
China claims Taiwan as its territory, to be unified with by force if necessary, and in recent years has intensified military activities around the island.
Beijing has also stepped up its coast guard presence in Manila's exclusive economic zone, adding to
territorial tensions between the two neighbors.
