The tiny island on the frontline of US-China tensions

Fuga Island was set to host a Chinese 'smart city'. Now it may become a base for American troops as the US seeks to protect the region

- Carmela Fonbuena

The azure waters are inviting and its long stretches of clear white sand are spotless. But Fuga Island is not a holiday destination.

The residents of the remote community of just over 2,000 on the northern tip of the Philippines are farmers and fishers.

However, things are changing on Fuga Island. These days a detachment of marines watches its coastline closely. The coastguard also regularly patrols the area, and may soon build a station there. They could be joined by US troops, too.

To understand why requires a look at the map. Fuga lies less than 400km from Taiwan and is situated in waters connecting the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, an area critical to the defence of the Philippines itself.

As tensions rise in the region, Fuga Island is in demand. The land mass is part of Cagayan, one of the provinces identified as a potential site to host the US military under a deal called the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), allowing joint training, construction of temporary facilities, and storage of equipment and supplies.

Unlike his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has taken a stand against China's aggression in the South China Sea, strengthening diplomatic and security ties with the US, Australia, and Japan. The Philippines has reported dangerous manoeuvres by the China Coast Guard in the Spratly Islands, and in February accused Beijing of pointing a military-grade laser at a coastguard vessel.