Newsletter Newsletters Events Events Podcasts Videos Africanews
Loader
Advertisement

Duterte backpedals on wanting to weaken Philippines' US relationship

Duterte backpedals on wanting to weaken Philippines' US relationship
Copyright 
By Euronews
Published on
Share Comments
Share Close Button
Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Copy to clipboard Copied

Phillipines President Rodrigo Duterte says he does not want to sever ties with America, only weaken the foreign policy link that his country has obeyed for 70 years.

The Philippine’s colourful President Rodrigo Duterte has returned home after his three-day trip to China to tell waiting reporters that he did not tell his Chinese hosts that his nation was to sever ties with America.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Instead Duterte insisted that while he wanted closer ties with Beijing that did not mean he wanted to downgrade relations with Washington. He said he simply wants to “decouple” the Philippines’ foreign policy from America’s.

Not mincing words.Ex Foreign Affairs Sec calls #Duterte's approach to #China a national tragedy https://t.co/rYqZ35OxGp

— Jamela Alindogan (@jamelaaisha) October 21, 2016

Duterte’s comments on his China trip raised eyebrows in America, the Philippine’s ally for the last 70 years.

Go to accessibility shortcuts
Share Comments

Read more

Philippine military blames China for ships collision in disputed South China Sea

India and Philippines launch first joint naval drill in disputed South China Sea

Watch: Trump’s Pearl Harbor joke tests US-Japan alliance amid Iran tensions