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The US and the Philippines' military agreement sends a warning to China – 5 key things to know

Michael A. Allen, Professor of Political Science, Boise State University, Michael E. Flynn, Associate Professor of Political Science, Kansas State University, and Carla Martinez Machain, Professor of Political Science, University at Buffalo, The Conversation on

Published in News & Features

The United Nations, the U.S. and human rights advocacy groups, meanwhile, have all recognized that there are serious, credible concerns about how the Philippines’ government treats its own citizens.

The police have killed thousands of civilians during raids as part of the country’s war on drugs over the past several years. The Philippines has also become an increasingly dangerous place to be a journalist and to express independent political beliefs.

While this may cause concern among human rights activists, it is unlikely to influence the United States’ military decisions.

We have found in our research that the U.S. tends to soften its concerns about human rights in deployment hosts when security issues become more prominent.

Austin announced the latest military deal from Quezon City, in the Philippines’ capital region, and noted on Feb. 2, 2023, that the two countries “shared values of freedom, democracy, and human dignity.”

Given the complicated history of the U.S. and the Philippines, it is important to know what Filipinos think of the U.S. military’s maintaining a formal presence there today.

We annually surveyed approximately 1,000 Filipinos from 2018 through 2020 about how they view the United States’ and China’s influence in their country.

Generally, solid majorities view U.S. influence as favorable, with some variation over the years we surveyed. Very few of our respondents had negative views.

We also asked them about China’s influence in their country. People’s responses to this question were far less positive. These responses also indicate views of China are becoming even less favorable over time.

 

U.S. and Chinese competition, meanwhile, for influence in the Pacific region is on the rise.

In coming years, part of this competition will center on gaining the support of host country populations when the U.S. or China tries to set up a military base. How effective the U.S. and its military are in building goodwill will in large part influence the outcome.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation is trustworthy news from experts, from an independent nonprofit. Try our free newsletters.

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Michael A. Allen has previously received funding from the Minerva Research Initiative, the Department of Defense, and the Army Research Office. These organizations funded part of the work mentioned here. The views expressed here are the authors' only and do not represent the views of any outside funder.

Carla Martinez Machain has previously received funding from the Minerva Research Initiative, the Department of Defense, and the Army Research Office. Part of the work mentioned in here was funded by these organizations. The views expressed here are the authors' only and do not represent the views of any outside funder.

Michael E. Flynn has previously received funding from the Minerva Research Initiative, the Department of Defense, and the Army Research Office. These organizations funded part of the work mentioned here. The views expressed here are the authors' only and do not represent the views of any outside funder.


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