As President Rodrigo Duterte continues to move away from the alliance with the United States, he is expecting to take away billions in investments and loads of respect as he heads to China in the coming week.
Xi Jinping, China’s President, is looking towards a warm welcome for the Philippine President due to his adverse treatment to the United States, giving Beijing greater control over the disputed West Philippine Sea.
Duterte believes that he is trying to prevent the Philippines from continuing an unhealthy dependence on America, the country’s former colonial ruler; but, he has also indicated that this change of heart might be due to the US’ criticism of the administration’s deadly war on drugs to end crime.
Analysts try to decipher Duterte’s fixation in having China as an ally and Clarita Carlos, a professor of political science at the University of the Philippines, relates this to his being “a results-oriented person and a Machiavellian”. Because the President believes that the United States’ economic and military power has diminished, he is now turning towards China who is on the rise.
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She also states that Duterte wouldn’t care which country he would have to ally with as long as “he can find markets for our bananas, pineapples, and create employment.”
A delegation of several businessmen with a number of the most influential tycoons in the country will accompany Duterte in Beijing in order to take advantage of the improving relations.
Other than economic opportunities, President Duterte is also looking forward to be on the receiving end of respect as nations from the West continue to criticize him with allegations of allowing extrajudicial killings as a result of his war on drugs.
“I would rather go to Russia or China. Even if we do not agree with their ideology, they have respect for the people. Respect is important,” Duterte saod.
We do hope the President is aware that only respect begets respect.
Source: (news.abs-cbn.com)
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