Navy visit stirs up trouble

The presence of a United States aircraft carrier group in the South China Sea and the report that the US military will return to Subic Bay in the Philippines has sent worrying signals that the US and the Philippines are about to stir up trouble.

Recently, the waters around Huangyan Island in the South China Sea have been calm after a tense standoff between China and the Philippines in April, which was triggered by the Philippine navy's harassment of Chinese fishermen operating legally in China's territorial sea.

However, although the dispute had cooled, the arrival of the USS George Washington in the South China Sea on Saturday and media reports saying it will sail through the waters around Huangyan Island, known as Scarborough Shoal in the West, before it arrives at the Philippines on Wednesday, suggest the Philippines and the US are looking to raise the temperature again.

If the reports prove true, this can only be interpreted as a provocative move and add new complexity to the already tricky regional situation. After all, to send warships to another's doorstep is certainly not a show of goodwill.

The USS George Washington is the fourth mammoth vessel sent by the US navy to the Philippines this year. Such frequent visits by the US navy show the Philippines is seeking to enlist US support in its dispute with China.

The same motive is believed to have prompted Manila to welcome back the US military to Subic Bay after its withdrawal 20 years ago. According to military journal Jane's Defence Weekly, US and Philippine officials have confirmed that Subic Bay, once the site of the US' largest overseas naval base, will host US personnel on a semi-permanent basis.

To secure US backing in its confrontation with China over the South China Sea disputes, Manila has even ignored the strong opposition at home to a US return to Subic Bay.

Manila's attempts to ingratiate itself with the US have played into Washington's hands, as the Barack Obama administration has implemented a strategic rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region.

Washington should be reminded that the US too has a stake in the region's peace and stability, and any miscalculation could backfire and have an adverse impact on regional stability.