Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to end a pact key to annual war games with American troops if the US does not restore the travel visa of an official who oversaw his drug war. It is the latest in a long line of Duterte’s threats to shrink or sever ties with historical ally Washington, […]

DefenceTalkPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s fiery rhetoric and deadly crime war are becoming a growing concern around the world, the top US envoy for Asia warned on Monday in Manila. US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel met the Philippines’ defence and foreign ministers on Monday, after Duterte last week […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-warns-philippines-duterte-over-rhetoric-crime-war-68481/

DefenceTalkPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Saturday he would not sever his nation’s alliance with the United States, as he clarified his announcement that he planned to “separate”. “It’s not severance of ties. Severance is to cut diplomatic relations. I can not do that. Why? It’s in the best interests of my country that I don’t […]https://www.defencetalk.com/philippines-duterte-says-will-not-sever-us-ties-68466/

DefenceTalkPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte said it was “time to say goodbye” to the US during a visit to China on Wednesday, as the combative leader reconfigures his country’s diplomatic alliances. 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. During […]https://www.defencetalk.com/philippines-duterte-says-goodbye-to-us-ties-in-beijing-68446/

DefenceTalkPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he would soon visit China and hoped also to travel to Russia, as he again criticised longtime ally the United States for “arrogance”. The mission to China will be Duterte’s first outside of Southeast Asia since assuming the presidency on June 30, in a symbolic move highlighting the importance […]https://www.defencetalk.com/philippines-duterte-to-visit-china-68351/