The bilateral relationship between the Philippines and the United States is not about China since its stands on its own, US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said Wednesday.

“The Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) dates back to 1951. Our commitment to the Philippines stands on its own. Our relationship stands on its own, it's not about a third country, it's not about a single challenge. But we certainly have global challenges when it comes to climate change, when it comes to cybersecurity, when it comes to environmental degradation of our surrounding seas and climate,” Carlson told ANC.

“There’s so much that we’re working on together, it’s not about China. It’s not about China alone. It’s about what we do together. And it dates back to decades. I understand that that argument is out there but that’s not why we are committed to the Philippines,” she added.

The MDT is a defense pact between the Philippines and the US that was signed in 1951 which states that the two countries would support each other if either of them was attacked by an external party.

Carlson said the US was interested in the Indo-Pacific region since it was a critical area for global trade.

"Economic security is national security. So, making sure that we guarantee prosperity for our people means we have to have open sea lines of communication. We need to ensure that overflight is guaranteed," she said.

"So, absolutely, we wanna work with the Philippines, with like-minded partners to make sure these sea lanes are open and that we have a peaceful region so that our people can prosper,” she added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS