Opinion | How Rodrigo Duterte’s latest Beijing visit marks a crossroads for China, the Philippines and Asia
- Entering his twilight years, the Philippine president is moving to tie the fate of the two countries well beyond his administration, Richard Heydarian writes
Recognising stubborn continuities in French politics, the 19th century thinker Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr famously lamented how “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.
In many ways, the same dynamic is at play in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s strategic romance with Beijing. Despite all the vicissitudes in bilateral relations, the leader has stubbornly held onto to his rapprochement with the Asian juggernaut.
This dynamic was palpably on display this week during Duterte’s fifth visit to China in less than three years. As he enters his twilight years in office, the president is urgently pursuing consequential deals, which could tie the fate of the two nations well beyond his administration.
Soon after arriving in Beijing, Duterte met his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, for a record eighth time at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. To put things into perspective, Duterte is yet to visit the United States or any major Western capital in his fourth year in office.
The frequency of his visits to China, not to mention the high-stakes substance of the discussions with its leaders, is a major statement in itself. After all, the US considers the Philippines not just a treaty ally, but a “non-Nato major ally”.