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| President Rodrigo Duterte, attends a meeting with business leaders during the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, Summit in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016. AP/Martin Mejia | By Patricia Lourdes Viray via Philstar |
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte just wants to be "friends" with China and Russia to show the international community that the Philippines is not limited to a few countries, particularly the United States.
"I am not ready for military alliances because we have a treaty that was signed in the 50s. But I am ready to cooperate with my new friends – China and Russia – to make this world more peaceful," Duterte said in an interview with Russia's RT Documentary Channel.
The Philippines has an existing Mutual Defense Treaty with the US, which was signed on Aug. 30, 1951.
Duterte revealed that in his previous meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev at the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos, he did not ask for anything from Russia.
"I personally requested to speak with the prime minister of Russia, Medvedev. So I told him my problem, and I said, you know, 'I am not asking for anything. We can survive with nothing. But I just want you to know that they want to be closer to you and China because I do not like what is happening to us,'" the president said.
The chief executive once again criticized the US for threatening to cut its assistance to the Philippines following the spate of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.
"I am not ready for military alliances because we have a treaty that was signed in the 50s. But I am ready to cooperate with my new friends – China and Russia – to make this world more peaceful," Duterte said in an interview with Russia's RT Documentary Channel.
The Philippines has an existing Mutual Defense Treaty with the US, which was signed on Aug. 30, 1951.
Duterte revealed that in his previous meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev at the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos, he did not ask for anything from Russia.
"I personally requested to speak with the prime minister of Russia, Medvedev. So I told him my problem, and I said, you know, 'I am not asking for anything. We can survive with nothing. But I just want you to know that they want to be closer to you and China because I do not like what is happening to us,'" the president said.
The chief executive once again criticized the US for threatening to cut its assistance to the Philippines following the spate of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.
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