Mike Pompeo to visit Philippines amid growing influence of China
- The US Secretary of State will travel to Manila on February 28 and March 1 for talks with President Rodrigo Duterte
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Pompeo will travel to Manila on February 28 and March 1 for talks with President Rodrigo Duterte, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.
After winning the presidency in 2016, Duterte threatened to split with the United States and patch up with China by ending a long-running sea dispute.
Taho-gate has stained Duterte’s Philippines-China love affair
President Xi Jinping visited Manila in November, offering trade and investment incentives.
Duterte has bristled at all criticism over his sweeping crackdown on drugs and crime, which has killed thousands of people since mid-2016 despite criticism of lack of due process.
But Trump has hailed Duterte’s actions as a sign of toughness - a marked contrast with previous US president Barack Obama.
The Trump administration has downplayed human rights except when pressing adversaries and has set an overall priority of reducing the global influence of China and Russia.
