Philippine president announces ‘separation’ from US, wants to align with Russia and China

Mr Duterte made his comments on Thursday in Beijing, where he is visiting with at least 200 business people to pave the way for what he calls a new commercial alliance as relations with longtime ally Washington deteriorate.

“In this venue, your honours, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States,” Mr Duterte told Chinese and Philippine business people, to applause, at a forum in the Great Hall of the People attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. “Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost.”

Mr Duterte’s efforts to engage China, months after a tribunal in The Hague ruled that Beijing did not have historic rights to the South China Sea in a case brought by the previous administration in Manila, marks a reversal in foreign policy since the 71-year-old former mayor took office on June 30.

His trade secretary, Ramon Lopez, said $US13.5 billion ($17.6 billion) in deals would be signed during the China trip.

“I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to (President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world — China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way,” Mr Duterte told his Beijing audience.

A few hours after Mr Duterte’s speech, his top economic policymakers released a statement saying that, while Asian economic integration was “long overdue”, that did not mean the Philippines was turning its back on the West. President Xi Jinping, meeting Mr Duterte in Beijing earlier on Thursday, called the visit a “milestone” in ties.

He told Mr Duterte that China and the Philippines were brothers and they could “appropriately handle disputes”, though he did not mention the South China Sea in remarks made in front of reporters.

Following their meeting, during which Mr Duterte said relations with China had entered a new “springtime”, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said the South China Sea issue was not the sum total of relations.

“The two sides agreed that they will do what they agreed five years ago, that is to pursue bilateral dialogue and consultation in seeking a proper settlement of the South China Sea issue,” he said.

China claims most of the energy-rich South China Sea through which about $US5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.

Mr Duterte’s tone towards Beijing is in stark contrast to the language he has used against the United States, after being infuriated by US criticism of his bloody war on drugs.

He has called US President Barack Obama a “son of a bitch” and told his to “go to hell”, while alluding to severing ties with the old colonial power.

On Wednesday, to the cheers of hundreds of Filipinos in Beijing, Mr Duterte said Philippine foreign policy was veering towards China.

“I will not go to America anymore. We will just be insulted there,” Mr Duterte said. “So time to say goodbye my friend.”