Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2016 | Page 49

Calculation of Goodwill
Furthermore, Philippine leaders have suggested the U.S. response strengthened
the case for a more active and increased military presence in the country (Quismundo
2013; Romualdez 2013). Prior to the typhoon, the United States maintained a
considerable air and naval presence in the Western Pacific and stationed thousands of
troops in South Korea, Japan, and Guam. The Philippines, in addition to Japan, South
Korea, and Taiwan, has sought a greater U.S. military presence to check and balance
both China and North Korea and to ensure freedom of navigation and commerce.
In addition, the disaster provided the Obama Administration an opportunity
to show the region the good it could do, especially in relation to China. Although
China did pledge aid to the Philippines, its initial donation totaled just $100,000, but
increased its pledge to $1.6 million and dispatched a hospital ship following global
media criticism (Perlez 2013). The total package was a small percentage of the overall
amount given by governments. China’s response was probably shaped by tensions with
the Philippines over disputed islands in the South China Sea and with Japan over the
Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, resulting in a buildup of naval forces and air defense zones.
A more powerful and assertive China will probably shape the region in ways
that run counter to U.S. interests (Cohen 2010; Fackler 2013; Nathan and Scobell 2012;
Swaine 2011). The worry is that China will seek to alter norms and rules in the region,
thereby complicating U.S. efforts to maintain the strategic balance of power (Inboden
2011). U.S. concern was most visibly expressed with its decision to increase its military
presence to 2,500 Marines deployed to Darwin, Australia. For years, the United States
sought to enhance its ship and aircraft access to Philippine military stations, especially
at Subic Bay. While U.S. humanitarian assistance to the Philippines was an expression
of goodwill, it helped pave the way for the United States to legitimize and expand its
military presence in Southeast Asia and rebalance against China in the region (see
figure 3). According to Thayer, “It is not that the United States used assistance to
promote rebalancing, but that rebalancing enabled the U.S. to respond so decisively”
(Mogato and Belford 2013).
Historical Milieu, Media, and the Public
Historical milieu and the roles of the media and the public in the foreign
policymaking process determined and shaped the extent of the U.S. response to the
typhoon. Previous natural disasters informed the range of options available to the
policy elites formulating the U.S. response to the human suffering; however, the type
of media coverage and the degree of public engagement with the disaster varied in
relation to previous catastrophic events (Oliver and Myers 2002). The case of Typhoon
Yolanda is interactive with previous policies and experiences, especially when it comes
to the strategic importance of Asia and the Pacific in U.S. foreign policy as well as
efforts to address the image of the United States.
Following the 2004 tsunami, U.S. humanitarian assistance and aid to Indonesia
helped build goodwill and appreciation and bring about a significant revival following
the tsunami by providing it with aid for childhood immunization and to fight
corruption and abuse of women, promote human rights, and to train for disaster relief
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