20140427 美菲《增強防務合作協議》 (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement)

【Comment】

《增強防務合作協議》 (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) 在歐巴馬抵達菲律賓之前簽署，應該是要降低政治敏感性吧。實際上，是矯情了。

目前是允許為了演習給予兩週的部署期限，新的協議將會延長。但，美國本要求超過10年的有效期，結果僅以10年達成結果。新協議也允許美軍囤積救援物資，救援物資其實與非軍火的軍事物資相同。

值得注意的是BBC報導：「菲律賓參議院1991年投票通過關閉美軍在蘇比克灣和馬尼拉西北部的克拉克軍事基地。但在1999年，菲律賓當局批准了一項雙邊條約，准許美軍臨時到訪。」

2012年有68艘美軍船艦抵達，2013年有149艘，未來會更多。

美國與菲律賓達成十年防務合作條約○BBC（2014.04.27）http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/trad/world/2014/04/140427_philippines_us_military.shtml

美國白宮宣佈，美國和菲律賓將簽署一項為期10年的增強防務合作協議，為美軍擴大在菲律賓的存在提供條件。

協議將在美國總統奧巴馬周一（4月28日）抵達菲律賓訪問前簽署。菲律賓是奧巴馬這次亞洲四國之行的最後一站。

美聯社報道說，兩位不具名菲律賓官員在白宮宣佈前已經向美聯社透露了上述協議即將簽署的消息。

此前，馬尼拉百餘民眾上街遊行抗議美菲軍事合作協議。

菲律賓與中國在海上的主權爭議正在加劇。

軍事基地

根據《增強防務合作協議》（Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement），美軍將可臨時使用若干菲律賓軍營，由此得以調遣戰鬥機和軍艦。

目前不清楚美軍在菲律賓「臨時並輪換」增兵的數量，但美聯社稱它看到的菲律賓方面提供的文本說明增兵數量將取決於雙方在菲律賓軍營舉行的聯合軍事行動的規模。

美國白宮國家安全委員會亞洲事務高級主任麥艾文（Evan Medeiros）說，具體增兵規模和時間長短仍需與馬尼拉敲定。

他拒絕透露具體涉及在菲律賓的哪些軍事基地，但表示久棄不用的蘇比克灣美軍基地可能是其中之一。

從2002年起，美國已經向菲律賓南部派遣了數以百計的軍事人員，提供反恐訓練，並為與穆斯林極端武裝作戰的菲律賓軍隊充當顧問。

菲律賓憲法禁止美軍在該國設永久基地。

美國和菲律賓就這一協議舉行的談判去年一度擱淺，因為雙方無法就菲方在當地軍營中劃定的美軍區域享有的權限達成一致。

美聯社報道說，這份協議將增進美菲雙方的軍事合作，提升菲律賓軍方監控和保護領土安全、對自然災害和其他緊急狀況作出反應的能力。

一拍即合

外國駐軍在菲律賓是個敏感話題。

菲律賓參議院1991年投票通過關閉美軍在蘇比克灣和馬尼拉西北部的克拉克軍事基地。

但在1999年，菲律賓當局批准了一項雙邊條約，准許美軍臨時到訪。

據悉，近年來南中國海菲律賓與中國就爭議島嶼的糾紛加劇，馬尼拉向華盛頓求助，希望美國幫助菲律賓實現空軍和海軍的現代化。

2012年，中國實際上控制了中菲有主權爭議的黃岩礁（斯卡伯勒礁）水域。

菲律賓的需求恰與華盛頓調整國際戰略部局，把重心逐漸從中東轉向亞洲的意圖吻合。

美聯社引述菲律賓一名分析人士說，華盛頓和馬尼拉之間的這種聚合趨勢將有助於抗衡中國在爭議地區日益強硬的姿態，但同時也可能進一步激怒北京，促使北京採取更強硬的立場。

Philippines, U.S. to sign new military pact, part of U.S. pivot○Reuters（2014.04.27）http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/27/us-philippines-usa-idUSBREA3Q05L20140427

(Reuters) - The United States and the Philippines will sign a new 10-year security pact on Monday that will allow for a larger U.S. military presence as it struggles to raise its defense capabilities amid territorial disputes with China.

The agreement, which establishes a framework for a beefed-up rotation of U.S. troops, ship and warplanes through the Philippines, will be formally sealed just hours before U.S. President Barack Obama arrives on a two-day visit to Manila, U.S. and Philippine officials said.

White House officials touted the deal as part of a "rebalancing" of U.S. resources toward the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region.

The Philippines will be Obama's final stop on a four-country tour aimed at showing sometimes skeptical allies he is serious about the strategic shift.

It comes as China has strengthened its maritime presence in disputed areas in the South China Sea after seizing control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012.

U.S. officials accompanying Obama on a visit to Malaysia insisted the deal was aimed at bringing greater stability to the region, not at countering Beijing's growing military assertiveness.  "We're not doing this because of China," Evan Medeiros, Obama's top Asia adviser, told reporters.

The accord allows for enhanced "rotational presence" of U.S. forces in the country - but not a return of U.S. military bases, U.S. officials said.

It will allow U.S. forces to train and conduct exercises with Philippine forces for maritime security, disaster assistance and humanitarian aid, the officials said.

The White House said the pact did not specify how many U.S. military assets can be deployed but established a legal basis for deciding on a mission-by-mission basis.

Still, Manila's acceptance of an increased U.S. military presence, a politically sensitive issue in the independent-minded archipelago nation, reveals the scale of Philippine anxiety over China.

The Philippine Senate voted to evict the U.S. military from their bases in 1991, ending 94 years of American military presence in the Philippines, and has only gradually allowed the return of U.S. forces for limited operations.

RENEWABLE PACT

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation agreement will run for 10 years, shorter than the United States was originally asking for, two Philippine government officials said, asking for anonymity due to lack of authority to reveal details.

But the deal is renewable depending on the needs of the two oldest allies in the Asia-Pacific region, one source said.

It will be signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg shortly before Obama meets Philippine President Benigno Aquino in Manila.

The agreement allows the United States to rotate ships, aircraft and troops for a period longer than the current maximum of two weeks during joint military exercises by the two nations, a senior Philippine military source told Reuters.

The United States is expected to gradually deploy combat ships, a squadron of F18s or F16s and maritime surveillance aircraft, the same source said.

Last year, there were 149 U.S. navy ship visits to the Philippines, up from 68 in the previous year, and that number is likely to rise further under the new pact.

"We are considering bases in Northern Luzon like Clark and Subic, and Fort Magsaysay, to accommodate the U.S. forces. We will set aside space in those bases for their troops," the military source said.

Clark and Subic were bases maintained by the United States northwest of Manila until 1991, when U.S. troops were evicted.

Eight years later, the Senate approved an agreement providing for temporary visits by U.S. forces, allowing the staging of joint military exercises.

The new accord also allows the storage of U.S. humanitarian equipment and supplies for disaster response, with some already in the country after super Typhoon Haiyan devastated central Philippines in November, the military source also said.

Pio Lorenzo Batino, undersecretary of Defense and chair of the Philippine panel negotiating with the United States, earlier said the agreement complied with the Philippine Constitution, which meant U.S. forces will have no permanent presence.

Philippine Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said she would scrutinize the pact, adding any agreement involving the posting of foreign troops and equipment required Senate ratification.

While most Filipinos support the pact to help counter China, there is some opposition on the left.

"We condemn in the strongest terms the brazen treachery of the Aquino regime which is set to sign tomorrow the US-PH Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement," said Renato Reyes of leftist group Bayan (or Nation). "The signing is an obvious gift of a puppet president to his imperialist master."

(Additional reporting Manny Mogato in Manila, Mark Felsenthal and Stuart Grudgings in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Alison Williams)