Number: RS20697
Title: PHILIPPINE-U.S. SECURITY RELATIONS
Authors: Larry Niksch, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division 
Abstract: In 1999, the Philippines and the United States reached agreements to revive the security relationship, which had declined following the U.S. withdrawal from military bases in 1992. The two governments concluded a Visiting Forces Agreement that will allow U.S. military personnel to enter the Philippines for joint training and other cooperative activities. The two governments also agreed to formulate a new U.S. military support program for the Philippines. The future of the security relationship will be affected by several issues such as the Philippine-China dispute in the South China Sea, the Muslim insurgency in the southern Philippines, and by the degree of effectiveness of the Philippine's own defense buildup program. U.S. policy decisions related to these issues will include the size and scope of a military support program, the role of the South China Sea in the U.S. defense commitment to the Philippines, and the scope of U.S. diplomacy concerning the Philippines' security problems.
Pages: 6
Date: Updated October 10, 2000