September 28, 2016

U.S.-PH ties to remain strong despite possible talks with CN, RU

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte may be open to ties with China and Russia, but it will not hamper any relations the Philippines has with its long-time ally, the United States.

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A LINK? Could our decision to open up economic ties with China and Russia lead to better relations between these countries and the U.S.? From left to right: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, U.S. President Barack Obama, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Images grabbed from Presidential Communications Operations Office, Foreign Office of London on flickr, White House on flickr, and Wikimedia Commons

According to an article on The Philippine Star, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said that Washington continues to work closely with the Philippines in areas of mutual interest, including counterterrorism and economic development.

“With regard to them pursuing alliances or partnerships with China and Russia, they’re a sovereign nation and we’re certainly not going to hold them back from pursuing closer relations with either of those countries. And it’s not a zero-sum game,” he added.

He also said they aren’t deaf to President Duterte’s remarks about U.S. President Barack Obama and the government. “I would just say that our cooperation with the Philippine government remains strong and unabated so we continue to engage in close cooperation on a number of areas of interest,” he said.

In an article posted on the Associated Press, Duterte said though he decided to “cross the Rubicon” in his ties with the U.S., he was “not really” planning to break ties with the country’s long-time ally.

He said he was only opening up areas of trade and commerce with Beijing and Moscow and not exploring military alliances. He added that both countries may lease land in the Philippines for up to 120 years.

Source: Associated Press, The Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Standard

Google Map: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte may be open to ties with China and Russia, but it will not hamper any relations the Philippines has with its long-time ally, the United States. According to an article on The Philippine Star, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said that Washington continues to work closely with the Philippines in areas of mutual interest, including counterterrorism and economic development.