Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte confirms he will attend Beijing’s belt and road summit
- Chinese ambassador had told Duterte his attendance at the event in April would boost ties between the two countries
- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Manila next week
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed he will attend China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” summit to be held in April, in another sign of closer ties between Beijing and Manila that may trigger unease in Washington.
Meanwhile, in what is seen as the United States showing its commitment to the Southeast Asian nation, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to the Philippines next week.
Pompeo will meet Duterte in Manila on Thursday and Friday, a US State Department spokesman said on Saturday.
The top US diplomat will make the visit on his way back from Hanoi, where he will join President Donald Trump for his closely watched second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The US announcement came after Manila said Duterte would go to China for the second belt and road summit. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has also said he would attend the event.
Major powers including the US have been sceptical of the trade and infrastructure initiative launched by President Xi Jinping in 2013, saying it is a scheme for China to extend geopolitical influence, calling it “debt trap diplomacy” and criticising its lack of transparency.
Explained: Belt and Road Initiative
Manila’s confirmation came after Duterte met China’s ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua on Wednesday. Zhao told the president China paid “high regard” to the country’s participation in the summit and that Duterte’s attendance would boost ties between the two nations, according to a statement from the Chinese embassy.
Philippine presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo later told local broadcaster GMA News that Duterte “looks forward to attending the event”.
China had invited Duterte to attend the summit in November when Xi was in the Philippines on a state visit.
During that trip, Beijing offered Manila trade and investment incentives, with the two nations signing 29 deals – including one on joint oil and gas exploration.
The exploration deal is seen by some in the Philippines as undermining the country’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Critics are concerned about Duterte’s decision to set aside a major 2016 ruling from an international tribunal that declared Beijing’s expansive claim over the waterway as being without basis, in favour of courting Chinese investment.
After winning the presidency in 2016, the brash Philippine leader threatened to split with the United States and patch up with China by ending the long-running sea dispute.
Soft tofu and hard questions over Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s ties to China
Meanwhile, 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 a 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, who Duterte branded the “son of a whore”.
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.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
