Quote Originally Posted by Ray View Post
One has to be a neighbouring nation to realise the threat China poses.
I haven't the burden of being a nation, but I live less than 60km from the South China Sea and less than 800 from the China mainland, which I suppose makes me a neighbour of sorts. I can't say I feel threatened at this point.

Two decades after evicting U.S. forces from their biggest base in the Pacific, the Philippines is in talks with the Obama administration about expanding the American military presence in the island nation, the latest in a series of strategic moves aimed at China.

Although negotiations are in the early stages, officials from both governments said they are favorably inclined toward a deal. They are scheduled to intensify the discussions Thursday and Friday in Washington before higher-level meetings in March. If an arrangement is reached, it would follow other recent agreements to base thousands of U.S. Marines in northern Australia and to station Navy warships in Singapore.
I was in Subic a few months ago, much discussion of this. Certainly there will be more port calls (the US Navy has put out a tender for a tank farm and fueling station, among other signs), but for a whole host of reasons a permanent presence or actual stationing of ships or personnel looks quite unlikely.