The controversial president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, announced what he called his “separation” from the U.S. Thursday in his latest speech aimed at rankling Washington.
“I announce my separation from the United States both in military and economics also,” Duterte announced to a cheering crowd in Beijing. He added, "America does not control our lives. Enough bulls---," according to AFP.
Duterte has previously said the Philippines would stop joint military exercises with the U.S., and he opposes joint patrols with the U.S. Navy in the South China Sea. But U.S. officials say its commitment to the treaty alliance with the Philippines remains "ironclad."
"We are going to be seeking an explanation of exactly what the president meant when he talked about separation from the U.S.," said State Department spokesman John Kirby. "It's not clear to us exactly what that means in all its ramifications."
President Duterte is currently in China on a four day trip, in an effort not only to improve relations with the Philippines’ powerful neighbor, but also to further distance itself from the United States.
“Both sides agreed that the South China Sea issue is not the sum total of the bilateral relationship,” said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin. Liu went onto say both parties would resume bilateral talks on the issue.
Economically, it was announced by the Philippines’ Trade Secretary, Ramon Lopez, that the two nations would be signing $13.5 billion worth of economic cooperation this week. Separately, the Philippines Presidential Communications Office said President Jinping committed more than $9 billion in low-interest loans to the country, with about a third of the loan offer coming from private banks. About $15 million in loans will go toward drug rehabilitation projects.
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