***The Japanese military brutally occupied the Philippines during World War II, but the two countries have since grown closer due to trade and investment, and more recently, through China’s assertiveness.***
I bet a big reason is that the U.S. can’t be counted on for anything for anyone anymore. We have bases in the area, but have become rendered unreliable.
It is kind of ironic for 50 years, 1895-1945, Japan was the bully of the region and China was weak.
Now, 70 years later, China is the military powerhouse and Japan has stopped developing due to a low birth rate engineered by post-war US occupation.
“I bet a big reason is that the U.S. can’t be counted on for anything for anyone anymore. We have bases in the area, but have become rendered unreliable.”
Well, I read the Asian journaL which is the weekly Filipino (obama ass kissing) newspaper. Right now, just to show you how weak the RP govt is, they are currently bitching that US forces are using their old Clark Air Base, yet according to the agreement, the US cant use it for anything but commercial. Whatever the govt, the RP is weak. Militarily, naval-wise.
However, if the Chicoms invaded the RP, they will draw them into the jungles and annihilate them guerilla-wise, the same way they drew the Japs into the provinces and killed them bit by bit.