The Study On The Negotiation Of Millitary Bases Between The U.S. And Philipines During Ford Administration

The Republic of Philippines, situated in the strategic area of Southeastern Asia, has been a vital ally of The United States. As late as the late 18 th century, the US began to occupy this region and established military installation. After the Second World War, America had an increasing influence on the Philippines’ s military bases, which also became the first priority of all previous US Presidents when dealing with the US-Philippines relations. However, with the changing international situation and declining of its own strength, America needed to adjust its global strategy and ally policy to adapt the new aspect. As a result, the contradiction between America and Philippines stood out increasingly. The negotiation during Ford Administration was rather representative. This thesis, by researching the negotiation between the US and Philippines and analyzing its process and consequence, is committed to unscramble America’s transformation of ally policies and growing contradiction between the two countries.This thesis consists of three parts which are introduction, body and conclusion.The introduction mainly narrates this issue’s research achievements and analyzes their deficiencies and this thesis’ s meaning.The first part of the text indicates America’s military bases in Philippines and its main military existence,s and also summarize these bases’ significance for the U.S. under theglobal strategic background since WWII. With America’s failure in Vietnam War and ever-lasting changes of international situation, there was a growing centrifugal trend in the Philippines’ to the U.S., which,together with assumption of duty, exerted an influence on the U.S.-Philippines relations.Under this very background, the Ford Administration conducted a new round negotiation on military bases with the Philippines.The second part of the text mainly elaborates the process of the negotiation restarted by the two governments, and then it uses related documents to analyze the reason that both sides didn’t reach an agreement at the end of that year.The third part if the text indicates enlightenment from this negotiation’s course and result. Along with changes across the globe in 1970 s and American strength loss brought by Vietnam War, the US has transformed the ally strategy of “Act in the interest of others”. In the meantime, both sides’ interests tended to be discordant, thus increasingly protruding this ally’s crack.The conclusion sublimates the whole thesis and combining it with current the South China Sea, reveals that although the US and Philippines signed the new < Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement > in 2014,but from the perspective of the negotiation on military bases between two countries in Ford Administration, America has changed its ally policy according to the changes of global situation. From then on, the asymmetry of US-Philippines ally and two countries’ contradictions stood out, which have the model significance on China’ handling South China Sea issues rationally and dealing with these issues accurately.