Anti-Imperialist Movement warns against ‘proxy war’ with China

News département 19-07-2024

A MOVEMENT of multisectoral groups was launched on Thursday, advocating measures that will prevent the United States from dragging the Philippines into a “proxy war” with China in the South China Sea.

Members of the Anti-Imperialist Movement (AI Movement) said they are appealing to the Marcos administration to resolve the country’s territorial disputes with China through peaceful dialogue and nonviolence.

“The AI Movement calls for peace, we call for the safety and security of each Filipino, and in those calls alone it should be clear to the government that we are against war,” consumer-commuter leader, environmentalist and peace advocate Rodolfo “RJ” Javellana, one of the group’s convenors, said during the launching.

Javellana said the movement’s primary goal is to save Filipinos from the “threat of war” brought about by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the US.

The EDCA allows the US to rotate troops into the Philippines for extended stays and to build and operate facilities on Philippine bases for both American and Filipino forces.

There are nine locations of military bases for the American troops under the agreement.

Javellana said that the EDCA sites undermine Philippine sovereignty and expose the country to potential attacks from America’s geopolitical rivals.