US will construct new military facility close to South China Sea

The United States is set to build four new military bases "scattered" around the Philippines, including one near a disputed island chain claimed by China and several other nations. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. offered additional details about the new installations, which were first unveiled last month as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with Washington. He said the bases would help to defend the country's largest island, Luzon. Palawan is one of the Philippines' westernmost regions, and is situated around 200 miles (320 kilometers) east of the disputed Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea. Six countries have laid claim to parts of the small island chain, but US officials have repeatedly rejected Beijing's claims as "unlawful."
The US plans to build military bases on Luzon in the Philippines, likely with Taiwan in mind. President Joe Biden has explicitly stated that US forces would come to Taiwan's defense in the event of a Chinese attack. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin argued that military cooperation between countries should be "conducive to regional peace and stability and not targeted at or harmful to the interests of any third party." President Marcos warned of an "emerging threat" that would require "adjustments in our strategy". Under the 2014 EDCA, the US was initially permitted to construct five military bases around the Philippines, but the pact was recently extended to four additional "strategic" sites. Washington has so far spent $82 million on the original five facilities, and continues to work on bases that will eventually host rotating troop deployments.