Germany blurs defence lines with industrial bet on Philippines' former US Clark base

According to South China Morning Post, the runway at Clark International Airport in the Philippines was for decades a symbol of US air power projection across Asia. After a deal signed last week during German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's visit to Manila, that same ground is being recast as a new operations base for German industry.

Analysts read the multimillion-dollar project as a case study in how economic investment becomes the new language of strategic power. The visit, the first by a German head of state since 1963, signals that Berlin is starting to align industrial, armour and infrastructure spending on a single Indo-Pacific axis.

Manila is also recalibrating between South China Sea tensions with Beijing and its US-European alliance options. The deal opens fresh prospects for the Philippine economy in employment, supply chains and technology transfer. Berlin's move signals Europe's readiness to take a more active role in regional economic and security ties.