US: Alliance with Philippines unmatched

WASHINGTON – Treaties with the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand give the United States an unmatched alliance in the Indo-Pacific region, US officials said.

At a conference at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank, officials reaffirmed the US has deep interests in the region.

Alex Wong, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, said there are more forward-deployed US service members in the Indo-Pacific region than anywhere else, and they field the most advanced weapons systems.

The international order based on the rule of law that the United States has championed since the end of World War II has served the region well, and Chinese attempts to change that would be bad for the nations of the region and the world, Wong said. 

David Helvey, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, said Defense Secretary James Mattis identifies the Indo-Pacific region as the priority for the Department of Defense.

The core principles of the region’s international order based on the rule of law are long established, he said, and they include freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes and support and upholding international norms and standards for behavior.

Helvey said since taking office, Mattis has made six trips to the Indo-Pacific region to visit with established allies and also meet with defense and military leaders from Indonesia, Vietnam and India.