Philippines’ Duterte Separates from US, Embraces China
Duterte’s remarks will prompt fresh concern in the United States.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States on Thursday, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks.
Duterte made his comments in Beijing, where he is visiting with at least 200 business people to pave the way for what he calls a new commercial alliance as relations with longtime ally Washington deteriorate.
“In this venue, your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States,” Duterte told Chinese and Philippine business people, to applause, at a forum in the Great Hall of the People attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. “Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost.”
Duterte’s efforts to engage China, months after a tribunal in the Hague ruled that Beijing did not have historic rights to the South China Sea in a case brought by the previous administration in Manila, marks a reversal in foreign policy since the 71-year-old former mayor took office on June 30.
His trade secretary, Ramon Lopez, said $13.5 billion in deals would be signed during the China trip.
“I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world - China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way,” Duterte told his Beijing audience.
Duterte’s remarks will prompt fresh concern in the United States, where the Obama administration has seen Manila as a key ally in its “rebalance” of resources to Asia in the face of a rising China.
The administration agreed a deal with Duterte’s predecessor granting U.S. forces rotational access to bases in the Philippines and further doubts will be raised about the future of this arrangement.
“The U.S.-Philippines alliance is built on a 70-year history, rich people-to-people ties, including a vibrant Filipino-American diaspora, and a long list of shared security interests,” White House spokesman Ned Price said.
“We also remain one of the Philippines’ strongest economic partners; the current stock of U.S. foreign direct investment stands above $4.7 billion.”
Telesur
* Published 20 October 2016:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Philippines-Duterte-Separates-from-US-Embraces-China-20161020-0006.html
Philippines’ Duterte in China announces split with US
Filipino president says he prefers “character of an Oriental” after meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
President Rodrigo Duterte has declared the Philippines’ “separation” from long-standing ally the United States during a visit in Beijing as he rebalances his country’s diplomacy towards China.
Duterte’s comments came after he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square on Thursday. The two also pledged to enhance trust and friendship and played down a maritime dispute in the South China Sea.
“I announce my separation from the United States, both in military but economics also,” Duterte announced at a meeting of Filipino and Chinese businessmen in Beijing.
“America has lost it,” Duterte was quoted as saying in a transcript of his speech by the Philippine Presidential Communications Office on Friday morning.
“I mean, I realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia.”
Duterte is in China on a four-day trip seen as confirming his tilt away from Washington and towards Beijing’s sphere of influence - and its deep pockets.
Xi called the two countries “neighbours across the sea” with “no reason for hostility or confrontation”, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Rodrigo Duterte on US relations: ’No more military exercises’
The two leaders held “extensive” and “amicable” official talks and oversaw the signing of 13 bilateral deals, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said his country and China will sign $13.5bn in deals this week. He did not elaborate.
Separately, the Philippines Presidential Communications Office said Xi committed more than $9bn in low-interest loans to the country, with about one third of that coming from private banks. About $15m in loans will go towards drug rehabilitation programmes.
Al Jazeera’s Adrian Brown, reporting from Beijing, said Duterte’s visit was “very significant” and a “diplomatic victory” for China, with the Philippines agreeing to resume bilateral talks after years of confrontation.
“A visit like this would have been impossible just six months ago, when the war of words between Manila and Beijing was at its height.”
Richard Javad Heydarian, a political analyst, said by declaring a strong alliance with China, Duterte is going against the Filipino people’s inclination towards the US.
“A survey just came out yesterday, which says that the US enjoys a plus 66 net approval rating. China has a negative 31 favourability rating,” Heydarian told Al Jazeera.
He also said the Philippine military is “very predisposed towards the United States, while very critical towards China”.
Since 1951, the Philippines has maintained a defence treaty with the US, which pledges that both countries would come to each other’s defence in case of an armed attack.
The White House said on Thursday the Philippine government has not officially asked to end any security or economic ties between the US and Manila.
“We have not received any official requests from Filipino officials to alter any of our many issues where we bilaterally cooperate,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters.
’Loud’ and ’rowdy’
Under Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, the China and the Philippines were at loggerheads over the South China Sea - where Beijing has built a series of artificial islands - but since taking office in June the new head of state has changed course.
“Both sides agreed that the South China Sea issue is not the sum total of the bilateral relationship,” Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters.
The two sides agreed to return to the approach used five years ago of seeking a settlement through bilateral dialogue, Liu said.
Duterte’s visit to Beijing capped a series of recent declarations blasting the United States and President Barack Obama.
Duterte was quoted by the Manila-based website Rappler calling Americans “loud, sometimes rowdy. Their larynx is not adjusted to civility” [see below]].
He said he prefers China “because it has the character of an Oriental. It does not go around insulting people”.
Addressing the Filipino community in Beijing on Wednesday, the firebrand leader said the Philippines had gained little from its long alliance with the US, its former colonial ruler.
“Your stay in my country was for your own benefit. So time to say goodbye, my friend,” he said, as if addressing the US.
He also repeated his denunciation of Obama as a “son of a whore”.
Source: Al Jazeera News And Agencies
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/philippines-duterte-china-announces-split-161020131226993.html
Duterte announces military, economic split from U.S.
Before chuckling, the President tells his Chinese audience, ’So, please, you have another problem of economics in my country. I am separated from them so I will be dependent on you for a long time.’
BEIJING, China (2nd UPDATE) – In front of Chinese businessmen and government officials, President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States both in military and economic aspects.
“I announce my separation from the United States, both in military but economics also,” said Duterte on Thursday, October 20, during the Philippines-China Trade and Investment Forum.
“So, please, you have another problem of economics in my country. I am separated from them so I will be dependent on you for a long time,” Duterte said, before chuckling.
The rest of his speech was heavily anti-American, to the amusement of his Chinese and Filipino audience.
He began his speech by saying that Americans are a “discourteous people” who are too loud for Asian sensibilities.
“Americans are loud, sometimes rowdy. Their larynx is not adjusted to civility,” he said.
He then said he prefers the Chinese way.
“Duterte of the Philippines is veering towards China because China has the character of an Oriental. It does not go around insulting people,” he said to loud applause.
Later on in the speech, he said, “There are 3 of us against the world – China, Philippines, Russia.”
In an ambush interview after Duterte’s speech, reporters tried to get statements from Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. He declined to comment.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr, asked about the implications of Duterte’s statement, said, “I don’t need to advice anything because that’s already a decision made.”
After Duterte’s speech, his economic planners issued a joint statement to media emphasizing relations with Western countries.
“We will maintain relations with the West but we desire stronger integration with our neighbors,” said Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.
The two officials said Duterte had merely wanted to highlight an economic policy that would pursue economic integration with countries geographically closer to the Philippines.
“The Philippines is integrating with ASEAN (Assocation of Southeast Asian Nations), China, Japan and South Korea. In a way, Asian economic integration is long overdue compared with the regional econonomic integrations,” they said.
Pia Ranada
@piaranada
* Rappler.com. Published 6:12 PM, October 20, 2016. Updated 1:44 AM, October 21, 2016:
http://www.rappler.com/nation/149806-duterte-announces-military-economic-split-from-us