But the military absence of the United States from the Philippines should be short-lived. In February 1992, the Chinese government enacted a law asserting its claims over much of the South China Sea. Two years later, he occupied the Mischief Reef in the eastern part of the controversial spratly islands near the Philippine island of Palawan, against the resistance of Manila, and began building structures on the coral reefs. Faced with this emerging power in the West, the Philippines has once again turned to its contractual ally and former colonizer for support. The issue of jurisdiction was one of the problems we faced. This is a fundamental lesson in the armed forces that a commander must fully control his troops, especially on the issue of discipline. The existence of an armed force depends on this general requirement. Nevertheless, we were faced with a situation where these American troops had to be deployed on Philippine soil. The jurisdiction of our courts and our laws had to be preserved. After long and intensive studies, a formula has been developed which, in my opinion, will be extremely satisfactory both for military requirements and for the essential dignity of our own sovereign jurisdiction.
I believe that the agreements we have reached on this subject are a welcome compromise to meet the most important requirements that needed to be met. All other areas currently occupied by the army and navy are not considered bases, but temporary facilities that must be evacuated within two years. I am assured by the U.S. military that most of these temporary facilities will be evacuated and made available to the government and private use, as titled, in a much shorter time frame. The post-U.S. Relations between the United States and the Philippines have improved and expanded, with an emphasis on economic and trade relations while preserving the importance of the security dimension. U.S. investment continues to play an important role in the Philippine economy, while a strong security relationship is based on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. In February 1998, negotiators from the United States and the Philippines concluded the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which paved the way for enhanced military cooperation under the TDM. The agreement was approved by the Philippine Senate in May 1999 and entered into force on 1 June 1999. As part of the VFA, the United States conducted missions to Philippine ports and resumed major military exercises combined with the Philippine armed forces. Among the most important events in bilateral relations is President Ramos` declaration of 4 July 1996 on the occasion of Philippine Friendship Day on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Philippines.
Mr. Ramos visited the United States in April 1998 and then-President Estrada visited in July 2000. President Arroyo met with President Bush on an official visit in November 2001 and made an official visit to Washington on May 19, 2003. President Bush made a state visit to the Philippines on October 18, 2003, during which he addressed a joint meeting of the Philippine Congress – the first U.S. president since Dwight D. Eisenhower. There are regular visits to the U.S. cabinet level and visits to Congress in the Philippines.