Duterte heaps praise on China, lashes out at US again

BEIJING — Visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had praise for China on Wednesday (Oct 19), setting aside a maritime dispute as the combative leader reconfigures his country’s diplomatic alliances. The Asian giant was “good”, he said. “It has never invaded a piece of my country all these generations,” Mr Duterte added in an apparent comparison to the Philippines’ former colonial ruler, the United States. 

“During the Cold War, China was portrayed as the bad guy,” he added. “And all of these years, what we have read in our books in school was all propaganda produced by the West."

The Philippine leader is in China on a four-day trip that is expected to confirm his tilt away from Washington and towards Beijing’s sphere of influence. Referring to a ruling by The Hague in July invalidating China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, Mr Duterte said it was “a piece of paper with four corners”.

“The arbitral award gives us the right. China has the historical right. And they’re insisting. In this situation, do we argue, or do we just talk? I would say, let us put it (off) to some other day.” He said the issue will take a back seat for now. “I have to be courteous and I have to wait for your (China’s) President to mention it in passing for me to respond.”

Earlier in the day, Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said disputes with China over rival claims in the South China Sea could take many years or even a “lifetime” to resolve, “but this should not be an impediment or a barrier in fostering our closer ties with each other”.

Mr Yasay said closer ties with China do not mean that Manila is weakening ties with other partners.

Beijing has heaped praised on Mr Duterte during his state visit.

At a regular briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing was pleased to move towards resolving the territorial dispute “through consultation and dialogue”. “This is how two friendly neighbours should treat each other,” she added. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, when receiving Mr Duterte on Tuesday evening, said “no foreign force” can stand in the way of improving ties.

Mr Duterte’s efforts to engage China, months after The Hague’s ruling on South China Sea disputes in favour of the Philippines, mark a reversal in Philippine foreign policy since he took office on June 30.

China has welcomed the shift in tone that has added to the strain between the Philippines and the US, as Mr Duterte has vowed not to surrender any sovereignty to Beijing, which views the maritime ruling as null and void.

In a series of conflicting statements, Mr Duterte has insulted US President Barack Obama and alluded to severing US ties. But after weeks of anti-American rhetoric, Mr Duterte said the Philippines would maintain its existing defence treaties and its military alliances.

Beijing has endorsed Mr Duterte’s war on drugs. In an interview with Chinese media on Tuesday, the Philippine leader said: “China is the only country to come out freely and (give)a firm statement that they are supporting the fight against drugs in my country.” He added that the Chinese government has assisted in building a drug rehabilitation facility in the Philippines. 

Mr Duterte, who is travelling with at least 200 top businesspeople, has said his China trip would focus on promoting economic ties. The Philippines is hoping, among other things, that Beijing will repeal a ban on imports of its bananas — an economic sanction intended to punish Manila for its South China Sea stance. 

China is also said to be considering giving Filipino fishermen conditional access to the disputed waters.

“The only hope of the Philippines economically, I’ll be frank with you, is China,” said Mr Duterte in an interview with CCTV broadcast on Wednesday. He asked President Xi Jinping to help build a Philippine railroad, saying: “If you can find it in your heart to give it to us.” 

He also cast the two countries as bound as brothers by the South China Sea. Mr Duterte noted his own Chinese ancestry — his grandfather was an immigrant from Xiamen province, and said this explains his personal sincerity.

Mr Duterte is expected to meet top Chinese leaders including Mr Xi and Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday. AGENCIES