-Caveat Lector- Fearing China, Manila Turns to U.S. By GEORGE GEDDA .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Eight years after the Philippines ordered a shutdown of American military bases on its soil, Filipino concern over Chinese actions in the South China Sea is leading to a partial revitalization of U.S.-Philippines military ties. At issue is Chinese construction on Mischief Reef, about 150 miles from Philippine territory and 800 miles from China. Manila is worried that Chinese construction there could be used to assist military operations. Neither the United States nor the Philippines is talking about reviving the sprawling U.S. bases that were once the centerpiece of a military relationship that reached a high point in 1944 when U.S. forces helped liberate the islands from Japan. Since 1951, the two countries have been bound together by a defense treaty. Nowadays, a more modest - and more politically sustainable - arrangement is contemplated, involving joint military exercises and periodic visits to Filipino ports by large U.S. military vessels. American officials declined to speculate about the possibility that the evolving relationship with the Philippines could one day bring the United States into a conflict with China. In any case, the shift in sentiment in the Philippines toward its one-time colonizer has been dramatic. In 1991, when the Philippines Senate rejected a proposed treaty governing the U.S. bases, then-Senators Joseph Estrada and Orlando Mercado were among those voting against it. Months later, the U.S. military abandoned the bases. Today, Estrada is president and Mercado is defense secretary. Both are enthusiastic proponents of renewed military ties with the United States. In late May, the Philippines Senate voted 23-5 to approve a so-called Visiting Forces Agreement, which lays the legal groundwork for the return of American servicemen. Plans are under way for joint exercises early next year. In rejecting church and Communist opposition to the proposal, Mercado said, ``Our country is weak, is extremely vulnerable to external threats and needs this alliance (with the United States) in order to protect our national interest.'' Just how far the United States will be willing to go to defend its ally is a matter of debate. Outgoing Filipino Ambassador Raul Rabe said in an interview that the United States pledged before the May vote to extend its defense perimeter into the South China Sea. U.S. officials say the administration has merely reaffirmed long-standing policy of pledging to consult with the Philippines if either party's territory is attacked - consistent with the defense treaty's language. The officials, who asked not to be identified, also seemed intent on not raising the rhetorical temperature - perhaps with a view toward someday mediating the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China, a role it could not play if it aligns itself too closely with the Filipino position. The South China Sea is but one of many territorial disputes in the region. ``We're not going to give them (the Philippines) a blank check,'' one official said. He also noted the United States has made clear its neutrality in the South China Sea dispute and he cited approvingly China's assertion that it will not interfere with freedom of navigation there. No significant U.S. weapons sales to the Philippines are contemplated, he added. If China is alarmed by the resurrection of the U.S.-Philippines military ties, it is not saying so publicly. China's ambassador to Manila, Fu Ying, told the Far Eastern Economic Review: ``We see the proposed Visiting Forces Agreement as a matter between the Philippines and the U.S.'' Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., a member of the House International Relations Committee, is alarmed by what he calls ``a massive military buildup'' by China in the region. China, he said, ``is claiming the entire area of the South China Sea.... This is a blueprint for war on the part of Beijing.'' DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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