Philippines' President Rodrigo
Duterte delivers a speech at the Philippines' Economic Forum in Tokyo
on October 26, 2016. Duterte was set on October 26 to persuade Japanese
executives his country is "open for business", after upending
traditional alliances by insulting the US and making overtures to China.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has insisted he wants his
country to be free of foreign troops and to pursue an independent
foreign policy.
The volatile leader has kept up his anti-US rhetoric for months, even calling Barack Obama a “son of a whore”.
Last week during a visit to Beijing he declared “my separation from the United States … both in military and economics also” – only to clarify a few days later he did not mean he would cut off ties with Washington, the country’s most powerful ally.
In his latest comments in the Japanese capital Tokyo, he referred to US troops in his country, saying: “I do not need the arms, I do not want missiles established in my country, I do not need to have the airports to host the bombers.”
US troops are stationed in five Philippine military camps under a deal established by Mr Duterte’s predecessor as a counterbalance to China’s military assertiveness.
Mr Duterte has cozied up to Beijing while criticizing US foreign policy.
“I want to be friends to China,” he said during his visit to Japan.
“I may have ruffled the feelings of some but that is how it is,” he said.
“We will survive, without the assistance of America, maybe a lesser quality of life, but as I said, we will survive.”
Despite his tough talking, Mr Duterte has yet to take any concrete action beyond cancelling some minor navy patrol exercises.
The US has criticised Mr Duterte over his war on crime.
Weeks ago, Mr Duterte appeared to liken himself to Adolf Hitler.
Noting the extermination of Jews by the Nazi dictator, he said he would “be happy” to exterminate 3 million drug users and peddlers in the country.
The volatile leader has kept up his anti-US rhetoric for months, even calling Barack Obama a “son of a whore”.
Last week during a visit to Beijing he declared “my separation from the United States … both in military and economics also” – only to clarify a few days later he did not mean he would cut off ties with Washington, the country’s most powerful ally.
In his latest comments in the Japanese capital Tokyo, he referred to US troops in his country, saying: “I do not need the arms, I do not want missiles established in my country, I do not need to have the airports to host the bombers.”
US troops are stationed in five Philippine military camps under a deal established by Mr Duterte’s predecessor as a counterbalance to China’s military assertiveness.
Mr Duterte has cozied up to Beijing while criticizing US foreign policy.
“I want to be friends to China,” he said during his visit to Japan.
“I may have ruffled the feelings of some but that is how it is,” he said.
“We will survive, without the assistance of America, maybe a lesser quality of life, but as I said, we will survive.”
Despite his tough talking, Mr Duterte has yet to take any concrete action beyond cancelling some minor navy patrol exercises.
The US has criticised Mr Duterte over his war on crime.
Weeks ago, Mr Duterte appeared to liken himself to Adolf Hitler.
Noting the extermination of Jews by the Nazi dictator, he said he would “be happy” to exterminate 3 million drug users and peddlers in the country.
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