Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte doesn’t want the U.S. military to establish a naval base in his country, saying that he fears the site would be a target in a future nuclear war between the United States and China.
“You put up a base at this time? This will ensure that a war breaks out because there will be atomic arsenals brought in,” Duterte told lawmakers Monday during a State of the State address. “This will ensure the extinction of the Filipino race.”
Those comments cast Manila as an unwilling participant in the U.S-China competition even as President Trump’s administration seeks to enhance America’s ability to honor a treaty obligation to protect the Philippines from Chinese threats. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has amplified U.S. support for the Philippines in territorial disputes with Beijing, but Duterte struck a docile note when describing the controversy.
“China has the arms. We do not. … So it’s simple as that,” he said. “They are in possession of the property.”
Defense analysts in Washington think that the Philippines could be a suitable base for U.S. forces that could counter China’s growing military capabilities.
Pompeo renewed the U.S. pledge to defend the Philippines from a Chinese attack during a visit to Manila last year. Duterte also called for the U.S. Navy to send a fleet to the islands — “I will ride on the boat with [the] admiral,” he said — but it has been more common for Duterte to slap at Washington while currying favor with China.
“I have nothing against America,” he said during the speech. “I have nothing against China.”
