President Rodrigo Duterte met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping Thursday, state media said, as the Philippines’ leader seeks closer ties with the Asian giant while blasting his US allies. Duterte is in China for a four-day trip that is expected to confirm his tilt away from Washington and towards Beijing’s sphere of influence. His recent rhetoric blasting the US and President Barack Obama and promising to sideline a territorial dispute over the strategically vital South China Sea has been welcomed in Beijing. But Duterte, who took office in June shortly before the tribunal ruling, has made a point of not flaunting the outcome. He has also suspended joint US-Philippine patrols in the South China Sea, and has threatened an end to joint military exercises.

Source: The Guardian October 20, 2016 05:08 UTC