With the palpable preferential of President Rodrigo Duterte for China, the United States is not bothered with the strong tied between Philippines and China according to US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim.
Ambassador Kim believes that all countries in the region want to have a productive and constructive relationship with China. So this should not be a cause of concern, when he told his view in a morning TV program where he was a guest.
The American envoy also added that he was not surprised that President Duterte has pursued policies based on the Philippines’ own interests and independent foreign policy. He explained that he was more focused on maintaining the strong alliance between the Philippines and the US while the former seeks stronger ties with other nations.
Furthermore, Kim has also expressed his confidence in the relationship between Philippines and America and confident that there is a very strong alliance between the two long standing allies.
He also mentioned that whatever agreement that the Philippines and China have in the proposed joint exploration in the West Philippine Sea should not affect the US freedom of navigation operations in the area.
“Freedom of navigation and overflight are international rights for everybody and does not belong to any set of countries,” the envoy said and also added that the US continues its operations in the region to protect these rights.
Interestingly, majority of Filipinos believe the US defense commitment to the country is strong and real because Philippines is US long-time ally and having said this, the US is committed to defend the country in case of invasion by another country by the virtue of Mutual Defense Treaty declaring their “sense of unity and their common determination to defend themselves against external armed attack.”