MANILA, Philippines — Washington does not consider the improving relations between Manila and Beijing as a concern, United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said. The American envoy said he thinks that all countries in the region want to have a productive and constructive relationship with China. The envoy said he was more focused on maintaining the strong alliance between the Philippines and the US while the former seeks stronger ties with other nations. A recent survey from Social Weather Stations found that majority of Filipinos believe the US defense commitment to the country is strong. Sixty-one percent of the respondents said they believe the country's long-time ally would defend the country in case of invasion by another country.

Source: Philippine Star December 19, 2018 03:11 UTC