US deploys rotating forces to nine rural Philippine locations under EDCA to counter China's assertiveness in South China Sea.

The US is deploying rotating American forces to nine rural locations in the Philippines, including Santa Ana, under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The move aims to counter China's growing assertiveness in the region, particularly in the South China Sea, where territorial disputes have escalated. The US and the Philippines, longtime treaty allies, seek to balance against China's military power with the US military presence in these strategic areas.