THE United States gave assurances on Monday that its Indo-Pacific strategy is not directed at China, and neither is it asking the countries in the region to choose between the US and China.
The declaration was made by US Ambassador Sung Y. Kim, speaking during a forum, entitled: “The Philippines-United States Alliance at 67: Quo Vadis?”
“Let me assure you, our Indo-Pacific strategy is not targeted at China or any other country; rather, it is rooted in long-standing friendship we shared with our partners and communities in the region,” Kim said.
The Indo-Pacific, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia.
“We seek a constructive, result-oriented relationship with China wherever possible. Indeed, the US and China productively engaged across a broad spectrum of interests. We have no intention of making countries choose between the US and China,” Kim said, just as Manila rolled out the red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jinping who began a historic state visit as he flew in late Tuesday morning.
“In fact, we welcome contributions by China toward regional development so long as it adheres to the highest standards the people of the region demand, including in areas such as transparency, rule of law and sustainable financing,” said the US envoy.
The ambassador added, “any activities that do not adhere to these principles undermine prosperity and stability in the region.”
He said the US will continue to raise concerns about actions of any country “that challenge the rules-based order which underpin years of peace, stability and economic growth in this dynamic region.”
Given the special historical ties between Washington and Manila, as well as the deep mutual security, economic and people-to-people linkages, “the US is confident our alliance with the Philippines will continue to thrive in the future.”
He stressed, “We have shared sacrifices, shared values and common convictions.”
Benefits from MDT
Apparently with an eye to the country’s pivot to China following President Duterte’s assumption to office in 2016, the US ambassador in return reminded the country, not too subtly, how the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) has benefited the country.
He said the support given to the Armed Forces (AFP) in military assistance, from 2011 to 2017, “total P80 billion [$1.6 billion] through the USAID.” He said this underscores the US commitment to advancing a more prosperous, stable and well-governed nation.
He said the US Agency for International Development has provided “almost P3 billion over the last year to assist the ongoing emergency relief and recovery to those affected by the Marawi crisis, including longtime rehabilitation efforts.”
The US and the Philippines, he added, “share a strong and deep-rooted economic partnership. We’re optimistic about the Philippines’s economic future and look forward to further deepening our economic ties.”
He said the Philippines’s largest exporter by value is an American firm, Texas Instrument; the largest private employer is Concentrix; and one of the largest taxpayers in the country is another US firm, Chevron.
“The US is among the Philippines’s top trading partner, exchanging more than P1 trillion, or $20 billion in goods last year. In fact, during first six months of this year the US was the top export destination for Philippine goods, and the US is also among the top 5 foreign investors with more than P380 billion [$7.1 billion] in stock.”
The envoy said “the US is seeking to expand our trade relationship, strengthen the economic governance and competitiveness. This is something President Duterte and US President Donald [J.] Trump discussed last November.”
And, he added, “the US welcomes the Philippines’s interest in a free-trade agreement, and we’re working with the Department of Trade and Industry to make bilateral relationship more free, fair and competitive.”
Kim continued: “Of course the strength of our bilateral relations is rooted in vibrant, robust and people to people relations.”
The event, held at the Department of Foreign Affairs Tuesday afternoon, was held to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the signing of the Philippine-US MDT.
The DFA Foreign Service Institute hosted the event, in partnership with the Presidential Commission in the Visiting Forces.