The United States will upgrade and build facilities on Philippine military bases this year, Manila's defense minister said on Thursday, bolstering an alliance strained by President Rodrigo Duterte's opposition to a U.S. troop presence.
For the Philippines, better relations with China could only rest on a foundation of accepting whatever China wants to do and smiling like they enjoy it.
For America, we get a shield to block Chinese moves to break out of their coastal regions to project power.
So we've got that going for us.
