November 11, 1998, Seattle Times / Chicago Tribune, Philippine Defense Minister Wants U.S. Troops To Return, by Uli Schmetzer,

November 11, 1998, Seattle Times / Chicago Tribune, Philippine Defense Minister Wants U.S. Troops To Return, by Uli Schmetzer, 

CHINESE NAVAL activity in the disputed Spratley Islands has fueled fears of Chinese expansion and sparked debate over the wisdom of closing U.S. bases in 1992.

MANILA - Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado has called for a return of U.S. troops to the Philippines, seven years after the country's Senate closed down all American bases in response to a wave of nationalist fervor.

Over the past year, legislators have been debating the wisdom of closing the bases in 1992 when their leases expired. At the time, many thought a U.S. military presence in the Philippines was needed to deter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea.

The issue has become more pressing in recent days after Chinese warships and cargo vessels transporting building materials were spotted around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands. Manila says the reef is well within its maritime sovereignty; Beijing argues the entire South China Sea is Chinese territory.

The Spratly Islands, northwest of northern Palawan, are a cluster of atolls, reefs and shoals believed to be rich in minerals. Five nations claim part of the Spratlys - Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei. China claims all the islands.

"If there is no American presence, we all know who would come in. Isn't it already obvious?" Mercado asked in a clear reference to the Chinese activity around Mischief Reef. "Before we know it, the Chinese could be in Palawan," he said.

Mercado called on the Philippine Senate to ratify a visiting-forces agreement with Washington, paving the way for joint military exercises and the presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines. Filipinos hope the U.S. Navy in the Pacific will come to their aid if the Chinese take over more islands.

Catholic bishops oppose the agreement, arguing that the return of U.S. troops would increase prostitution and undermine the nation's morals.

The agreement also is bogged down by Filipino demands that U.S. troops be placed under Filipino jurisdiction while in the Philippines. The U.S. has rejected that.

Western diplomats believe the Philippines will waive the jurisdiction issue in light of the Chinese fishing boats and naval vessels gathering in the disputed area off Palawan.

Mercado said the Chinese task force around Mischief Reef "can only mean one thing, that China will build barracks and add wharves and causeways in the future so their vessels can dock."

Reconnaissance reports, apparently from U.S. sources, indicated increased Chinese activity around Mischief Reef last month. Spotter planes in recent days have sighted six naval vessels and cargo ships loaded with construction equipment. China has already built modern shelters on the reef, but Beijing says they will house only fishermen.

The poorly equipped Philippine navy is no match for Chinese warships.

Nonetheless, Philippine officials said yesterday that they will increase naval patrols in the area.

President Joseph Estrada called the planned action in Mischief Reef a "blockade," but his spokesman said the Philippine leader was referring to increased naval patrols.

For years, Southeast Asian countries have feared that China would make good on its unilateral declaration in 1992 that it has sovereign rights over all the South China Sea. Chinese gunboats, sometimes described as "survey vessels," have sailed into offshore exclusive zones, triggering protests from Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

The 190 isles, reefs and shoals that make up the Spratlys are on strategic shipping lanes from the Middle East, particularly to and from Japan. Surveys say the Spratlys contain one of the world's greatest natural-gas reserves, commercial quantities of oil and rich marine life.