U.S.-Philippines alliance

The 2+2 meeting of defense and foreign ministers coincided with the opening of the largest-ever iteration of the annual Balikatan military exercise.

This is the first such meeting to take place since late in the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

The U.S. military will be granted access to three additional military facilities in the northern Philippines, and one on the island of Palawan in the South China Sea.

Chinese officials took the opportunity to voice their opposition to a recent expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Philippine archipelago.

The rapid warming of relations with the U.S. has prompted warnings from Beijing, and domestic political pushback.

The upgrade at Manila's Basa Air Base is part of $82 million in U.S.-funded infrastructure upgrades at military bases included under a 2014 defense pact.

The Chinese embassy in Manila said that the expansion of EDCA "will seriously harm Philippine national interests and endanger regional peace and stability."

Manila is seeking to shore up defense capabilities in the disputed South China Sea, even as China continues to stress negotiations on a Code of Conduct.

Marcos could be characterized as a middle ground between his predecessors – not as pro-U.S. than Aquino, but less pro-China than Duterte.

The two sides have agreed to grant the U.S. armed forces access to four more bases under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

The U.S. vice president's visit to the Philippines has seemingly closed the book on the problems and tensions of the Rodrigo Duterte era.