DAVAO, Philippines (Oct 22): Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday he was not severing ties with the United States, but wanted to "separate" Manila's foreign policy from that of Washington. "What I was really saying was separation of foreign policy," Duterte said, as he attempted to clarify what he meant when he announced his "separation" from the United States at a business forum in the presence of Chinese leaders. "It need not dovetail the foreign policy of America. That's what I meant," Duterte told a media briefing after arriving home from his four-day trip to China. "It's not severance of ties...I cannot do that."

Source: The Edge Markets October 21, 2016 17:37 UTC