U.S. Special Forces Ready to Expand Philippine Preparedness Training: Beijing's South China Sea Pressure Is Pushing U.S. Military Cooperation to the North Side of Taiwan

In Manila on August 14, there were three sets of security stories that clashed with each other.

U.S. Special Operations Command commander Frank Bradley said during a visit to the Philippines that the U.S. military is preparing to strengthen combat preparedness with the Philippines and other Asian partners.The Associated Press that U.S. Special Operations Forces have participated in exercises of varying sizes in the Philippines, including the Bahamas near Taiwan, with part of the training also Japan, Australia, Canada and France participating.

Philippine President Marcos expressed that day not seeking war, but said that in the event of conflict in the Taiwan Sea, the Philippines would not actively become a “struggle country”; at the same time, he also stressed that the temporary arrangements between the Philippines and China around the supply of the Reef will not weaken Manila’s position to safeguard its sovereign rights.

China has long described the U.S. and its allies in strengthening military cooperation on the first island chain as external forces creating tensions, and asked the relevant countries not to interfere in the Taiwan issue.The Chinese Ministry of Defense on August 14 once again accused Taiwan of external interference, while stressing that the Liberation Army will remain prepared.

The three sides put together to see where the Philippines is today.

Manila has not announced joining a war alliance against China, but is allowing military cooperation with the United States to become more and more concrete. The northern islands of the Philippines are close to Taiwan, while the south and west are directly facing disputed waters in the South China Sea.

This situation has not been unilaterally produced by the United States.In recent years, China's maritime police and Philippine ships have had dangerous contacts in the South China Sea, Beijing insisted on its maritime claims, and Manila refuted it based on the results of international arbitration and its own exclusive economic zone rights.The more frequently Chinese forces appear in the jurisdictional waters identified by the Philippines, the higher the value of the U.S.F. Joint Defense Treaty in the domestic security calculation of the Philippines.

What the United States now provides is no longer just a diplomatic statement.Special forces training, island exercises, allied coordination and the modernization of the Philippine military means that deterrence begins to have a real deployment basis.

For Beijing, this forms a strategic paradox that is unavoidable: China tries to force its neighbors to accept its security order by force, but the strong actions themselves continue to justify the U.S.’ expanding military presence in the region.

On August 14, Marcos stressed that the Philippines was reluctant to become a participant in the war, and insisted that it would not weaken its sovereign position in the South China Sea, precisely demonstrating that the real choice faced by Southeast Asian countries was not a simple "pro-American" or "pro-American".

They wanted to avoid war first.

But they are also increasingly reluctant to accept Beijing’s unilateral border in the name of avoiding war.