MANILA (UPDATE) — The Philippine bases that American troops have access to under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement are not US military bases, Washington's envoy to Manila clarified on Wednesday.

"These are not US bases," US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson told ANC's "Headstart".

"These are Philippine military bases where we provide funding and insert capital to make improvements that are to the benefit of both the Philippine military and [will] also be helpful to the US military in the event that any threat against either 1 of the 2 members of this mutual defense treaty alliance."

China previously warned that Washington was "endangering regional peace" in its wider defense deal with Manila.

• China warns Philippine-US base deal 'endangering regional peace'

Asked if the EDCA sites can be used for offensive operations, Carlson said these facilities could be used "for whatever the Philippine government invites the US to do".

"These are not our sites. We do not have any rights to these sites," she said. "Everything that we do in the Philippines is at the invitation of the Philippine government."

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has said his government would not allow its military bases to be used for any offensive attacks.

The sites were seen "to boost the disaster response of the country as the locations will also be used for humanitarian and relief operations during emergencies and natural disasters," the Palace has said in a statement.

In February, longtime treaty allies Manila and Washington agreed to expand cooperation in "strategic areas" of the Philippines as they sought to counter China's growing assertiveness over self-governed Taiwan and Beijing's construction of bases in the South China Sea.

The 2014 EDCA gave US forces access to 5 Philippine bases. It was later expanded to 9, drawing concern from China.

The new EDCA sites, including one near the disputed South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan, are located in Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan, Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan, Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela and Balabac Island in Palawan.

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— With reports from Davinci Maru, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse