Of course China doesn't like it. They are accusing us (the US) of elevating tensions.

Just like Dope, it's backwards.

I don't know for a fact, but I doubt Marcos cares much about Taiwan. We do, but why would the Philippines?

The point is that the Philippines are cooperating in building the defenses in the first island chain, which Taiwan is a part of. Marcos has to know that this is a counter move to China, upsetting them, and if you look, the Philippines gets little benefit from that unless they see the alliance there as being important. I see it as a recognition that the Philippines needs the US and the alliance to counter China.


China (and to a lesser extent, Vietnam) is trying to claim islands that international courts have adjudicated belong to the Philippines.

Yes, the won't recognize it and tout the nine dash line. The Philippine EEZ extends way out due to the underwater shelf.

I think if China weren't trying to assert their control over several Philippine islands, that the US would not now be encouraged by Marcos to set-up shop in the Philippines. Though he may have accepted the anti-ship missiles regardless.

The shift occurred under Duterte. China was going to build a lot of infrastructure - railroads crossing Mindanao Island in the South. A railroad from the top of Luzon island to the bottom. Ports, highways, bridges. All with funds from China. Those funds dried up for Duterte, and I know one bridge was built in Cebu - not sure of anything else. There was a move away from the PHilippines by China, and it isn't clear why - other than Duterte may have finally understood China. Duterte thought he could deal with the NPA. He let NPA rebels and communist rebels out of prison to get the NPA to the table and they never came to the table. So he had a learning process too.

He had the siege in Marawi where the Maute and Abu Sayyaf fought and he declared Martial Law on the island of Mindanao. He flew to Xi in China with a Chinese weapon and pretended that was the weapon that did the trick, when it was Israeli weapons.

So Duterte realized he couldn't deal the the Muslim rebels in Mindanao, and he had been successful in dealing with them previously when he was in Davao. He couldn't deal with the NPA, he released prisoners to no avail. And even if he gave the Chinese what they wanted, they still harassed his fishing boats and would stop buying bananas, etc., from the Philippines on a whim.