US imperialist intervention in Asia went on “hypermode” in July. From July 25, State Sec. Antony Blinken toured six countries in Asia in 10 days and held meetings in Vietnam, Laos, Japan, Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia. In a statemnet, the US said it aims to convey its commitment to the region in the last six months of the administration of Pres. Joseph Biden. Biden is set to step down after the US election in November.

In Japan and the Philippines, Blinken paired with Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin in the so-called 2+2 meeting with their ministerial counterparts.

The US pushed Japan to increase its military budget to “historic levels” in order to boost its military capabilities against its common rival China. This includes Japan’s development of nuclear weapons under the guise of “nuclear deterrence.” The US also strengthened its so-called US Forces Japan in Tokyo, the US military command center that oversees at least 120 active US military bases in the country. More than 55,000 American troops are permanently stationed in Japan.

Blinken arrived in the Philippines on July 29 for diplomatic and security meetings. This is his third visit to the country in the past two years. On July 30, for the first time, the 2+2 meeting was held in the Philippines, which has always been held in the US since it started in 2012. Blinken and Austin met with Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Department of National Defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro. Earlier, the two US officials met with Ferdinand Marcos at Malacañang on July 29.

In the meeting, they discussed the plan for the formation of the General Security of Military Information Agreement. This agreement would involve a sham “sharing” of sensitive military information between the two countries. This is likely to be yet another one-sided military agreement between the US and the Philippines, which will compel only the Philippines for providing “sensitive information”. This will only formalize the long-standing US intervention in internal matters related to the national security of the Philippines.

Austin also announced the $500 million US military aid to the Philippines. This amount is 12 times greater than the $40 million average annual US military aid to the Philippines. This will be used to “buy” secondhand weapons and military vehicles, which the US wants to dump into the country under the guise of “modernizing” the AFP. It aims to further bind the Philippines to US geopolitical strategy and use the country as a launching pad for its planned war in the region. Apart from this, Austin announced the allocation of $128 million for construction in at least nine more military bases under the EDCA for the exclusive use of American troops.

Protests greeted Blinken and Austin’s return visit to the Philippines. Various groups went to Camp Aguinaldo on July 30 to condemn the Marcos regime for allowing two war criminals into the country. They said, these two are responsible for provoking war in different parts of the world, and for promoting genocide in Palestine.

They also condemend Marcos for his mendicancy and servility to two imperialist agents, for allowing the presence of foreign troops and surrendering the country’s sovereignty to the increasing number of “EDCA sites” and war games that devastate the livelihood of the people. On July 31, youth groups held a flash rally in front of the US embassy.

In Japan, there was a similar protest on July 28 in conjunction with the US-Japan 2+2 ministerial meet in Tokyo. Activists both in Japan and the Philippines raised their voices,”Blinken at Austin, not welcome!”