 U.S. to build new military bases near China. The United States is set to build four new military bases scattered around the Philippines. The country's president, Ferdinand Marcos, has confirmed. He added that at least one facility would be placed near a disputed island chain claimed by China and several other nations. Speaking to reporters, the Philippine leader offered additional details about the new installations, which were first unveiled last month as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with Washington. However, he said he could not reveal their exact location until a formal announcement is made alongside the U.S. There are four extra sites scattered around the Philippines. There are some in the north, there are some around Palawan. There are some further south, he said, adding that the bases would help to defend the country's largest island, Luzon. Palawan is one of the Philippines' westernmost regions and is situated around 320 kilometers east of the disputed Spratly Archipelago in the South China Sea, which is also known by several other local names. Six countries have laid claim to parts of the small island chain, among them China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, as well as the Philippines, though U.S. officials have repeatedly rejected Beijing's claims as unlawful. American bases on Luzon, meanwhile, are likely to be built with Taiwan in mind, given its close proximity to the self-governing island, which China considers part of its sovereign territory. Though Washington had long maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taipei, President Joe Biden has broken with that approach, explicitly stating that U.S. forces would come to Taiwan's defense in the event of a Chinese attack. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin argued that military cooperation between countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability and not targeted at or harmful to the interests of any third party. The U.S. side, out of selfish interests, remains trapped in a zero-sum mentality and keeps increasing military deployment in the Asia Pacific. He said, adding that regional countries need to remain vigilant and avoid being coerced or used by the U.S.