Locsin: US remains PHL’s military ally, but economic ties with China vital

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. said the US will be the only military superpower that the Philippines will ally itself with, but said that does not stop the Philippines from maintaining strong economic ties with China.

“The United States remains the only military ally of the Philippines as it is distant enough not to interfere with our internal policies, yet strong  enough to project its power in the region and protect us if the need arises,” Locsin told the Oxford Business Group in an interview on Tuesday.

Locsin said maintaining the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the US is a priority for the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure the national security of the Philippines.

“Striking a defense deal with another military superpower would be illogical,” Locsin said.

Locsin said that while the Philippines will not enter into a defense deal with China, it can still strike up economic agreements with the Asian superpower.

However, Locsin clarified that the Philippines will not relinquish its claims in the West Philippine Sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Philippines, in 2016, scored a victory when a UN arbitral court ruled to invalidate China’s Nine-Dash Line claim in the West Philippine Sea.

According to Locsin, the MDT with the US government has been effective in maintaining peace in the Southeast Asian region amid several territorial disputes.

He pointed out that the Philippines should maintain its relations with other countries, especially those with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“In order to protect OFWs, we work towards strengthening our relations with the host countries, making sure that our foreign policy and votes in the United Nations do not antagonize the governments hosting our citizens,” Locsin said. — Joviland Rita/MDM, GMA News