US Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to the Philippines on November 21, 2022, to reaffirm America’s “commitment to the defense alliance with the Philippines” and discuss ways to strengthen economic ties. The White House released a statement reiterating “the interests of the United States in peace and stability in the South China Sea” and said, “that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.”