Military and Political Importance of the Region. The U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. carefully monitor each other's actions and bases in the Pacific. The Soviets now have their first warm water port in the Pacific at Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam. Soviet ships on their way to Cam Ranh Bay from Vladivostok must pass through narrow straits guarded by South Korea, Japan, and the United States. Currently, the United States Pacific fleet accounts for almost half of the United States naval strength.
Japan is a staunch ally of the United States in the Pacific.
Although relations with the government of the Philippines are strong, there is concern over present United States bases. These bases, housing an American force of 16,000, will be reviewed in 1988 and expire in 1991. Opposition to these bases and general political unrest in the Philippines have raised questions over their future. The United States has fostered good political relations with many nations of the Asian Pacific by playing a role in their economic development. The United States has contributed technology, capital, and equipment while purchasing their manufactured goods.