Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a shift in the focus of his country’s foreign policy from relations with the United States to those with China. Duterte addressed a business meeting in Beijing on Thursday and said he announces his separation from the United States both in military areas and economics. Image: Reproduction/NHK Earlier in the day, Duterte met Chinese President Xi Jinping. The 2 leaders avoided detailed discussions on territorial disputes in the South China Sea and agreed to improve ties. They also agreed that China will support the Philippines with economic assistance, including infrastructure and agriculture. The Philippine presidential office says Xi offered more than 9 billion dollars in loans. China is expected to issue a total pledge of 13.5 billion dollars in economic assistance, including private investment, during Duterte’s visit. The Philippines is an ally of the US, which has a foreign policy of rebalancing to Asia....
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