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Golden period of China-Philippines friendship loses its shine
- Manila shows signs of pivoting from Beijing over South China Sea differences and unfulfilled funding promises
- Growing distrust of China could fuel public backlash against President Rodrigo Duterte’s China-friendly policies
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In the early days of his tenure, firebrand Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte upended decades of foreign policy by moving his country away from its long-time ally the US and pivoting towards China.
Chinese and Philippine officials heralded a “golden period” in their relations but, four years later, it could be coming to an end, according to regional observers.
Growing Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea and unfulfilled investment promises – coupled with a souring public mood in the Philippines over China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic – have led the Duterte administration to rethink its ties with Beijing.
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In June, the Philippines reversed an earlier decision to scrap its Visiting Forces Agreement with the US. In the same month, it completed construction of a beaching ramp on an island in the South China Sea’s disputed Spratly chain.
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Philippine officials unveil beaching ramp on disputed South China Sea island
Philippine officials unveil beaching ramp on disputed South China Sea island
The ramp, on Thitu Island, will allow the Philippines to proceed with long-delayed runway repairs which were put on hold by Duterte’s predecessor Benigno Aquino III, pending the outcome of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the competing claims over the region.
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The international tribunal found in favour of the Philippines, ruling in 2016 that China’s claims over most of the South China Sea were invalid. China has never accepted the ruling. In its strongest signal yet, the Philippines marked the 4th anniversary of the decision with a statement reaffirming its victory as “non-negotiable” and called on China to comply with the finding in “good faith”.
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