Why Rodrigo Duterte wants US troops out of the Philippines
Philippines' president聽Rodrigo Duterte says that he wants US troops gone within the next two years, but he says that he does not seek to sever ties with the United States.
Philippines' president聽Rodrigo Duterte says that he wants US troops gone within the next two years, but he says that he does not seek to sever ties with the United States.
Is US military presence in the Philippines coming to an end?
While on a political visit to Japan, President Rodrigo Duterte stated that he will end military exercises between the Philippines and the United States. If Mr. Duterte follows through on such a promise, analysts say, it could further complicate the historically close Philippines-US relations聽鈥� and throw a wrench into US geopolitical goals in the Pacific.
"I want, maybe in the next two years, my country free of the presence of foreign military troops,鈥� Duterte said in a news conference. "I want them out. If I have to revise or abrogate agreements, I will.鈥�
In the six months since he took office, Duterte has drastically shifted his country鈥檚 foreign policy, both in tone and action. For decades, the Philippines were the US鈥� closest allies in the Pacific. But Duterte has shown little interest in maintaining that legacy: When his extrajudicial campaign against drug dealers drew US criticism, he told President Obama to 鈥済o to hell.鈥�
Meanwhile, Duterte has sought friendships with other world powers. While visiting China earlier this month, he told Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua that he wanted the Philippines 鈥渢o be a part of the greater plans of China about the whole of Asia.鈥澛燯nder such a lucrative alliance, Duterte could deliver on promises of improved infrastructure.
Despite seeking military and economic independence, Duterte has stated that the Philippines won鈥檛 end diplomatic relations with the United States. But a military breakup may still present issues, since US presence in the Philippines was meant to counterbalance to China鈥檚 growing power.
海角大神鈥檚 Peter Ford reported:
Ideologically speaking, some experts say, the separation may not be such a bad thing. Diplomacy isn鈥檛 a zero-sum game, said Susan Shirk, a top official in the Clinton administration. In other words, the Philippines can and should play nice with its neighbors.
鈥淚f China is able to stabilize relations with its neighbors that is good for the US. We are not in the kind of geopolitical rivalry where if China has friends, that鈥檚 bad for us,鈥� Shirk told the Monitor.
Other analysts note that a waning Western influence isn鈥檛 necessarily a problem. The Monitor鈥檚 Howard LaFranchi reported:
This report includes material from the Associated Press.