China and Philippines pledge mutual support after Rodrigo Duterte’s U-turn on scrapping US alliance
- Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart said they would work together to combat Covid-19 and on infrastructure projects
- Thursday night’s phone conversation follows the decision to keep the US military pact intact – a decision most likely to have been prompted by concerns over Beijing’s activities in the South China Sea
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte have issued statements of mutual support after the latter reversed a decision to scrap a defensive pact with the United States.
Observers believe that Duterte’s decision was motivated by growing domestic concern over China’s activities in the South China Sea, but Thursday night’s phone conversation between the two focused on the fight against Covid-19.
Xi and Duterte pledged to work together to combat the disease, with China pledging to make the Philippines a priority recipient of any vaccine it develops, according to a statement by the Philippine presidential palace.
The statement continued that Duterte would receive Xi’s “full support” in completing priority infrastructure projects, and said both sides had noted increasing bilateral cooperation.
A statement released by the Chinese foreign ministry said Duterte had promised “to be China’s everlasting friend and would not allow anyone to exploit the Philippines for anti-China activities”.
The phone conversation followed Duterte’s surprising U-turn last week when he reversed a decision, announced in February, to end a long-standing military agreement with the US.