Philippines grants US military access to 4 strategic bases near China and Taiwan.

The Philippines has identified four new military bases that the US will gain access to, including three on the main island of Luzon, close to Taiwan, and one in Palawan province in the South China Sea. The move is part of an expanded defense agreement aimed at combating China's aggressive territorial posturing throughout the region. The new locations mean the US will allow the US to rotate troops to a total of nine bases throughout the Philippines, including on the strategically important Balabac Island close to Chinese installations in the South China Sea.