US forces will gain access to more military bases in the Philippines than the five already announced, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said Wednesday as he began a visit to the longstanding Asian ally.
Manila announced this year it would allow US forces to use five of its installations, including an air base close to the South China Sea.
The agreement that went in force in January aims to strengthen the Philippines' defensive capabilities amid a tense maritime dispute with China, while helping the Pentagon pivot more of its forces toward Asia.
"They will be more, these are just the five initial sites for rotational presence" of US troops, Carter told reporters on his flight to the Philippine capital from India.
"The agreement provides for more sites in the future," he said.
Short-term rotations of US forces and equipment through these five facilities is "our favourite way of having a presence, for US forces to operate in and out of the Philippines, in support of our allies, of our broader networks of friends and allies in the region."
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