Philippines Shifting from US to China: Envoy
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rGo5lbUrRU]
- Published on Jan 2, 2017
The Philippine ambassador to China says his country will shift away from its long-time ally the United States towards Beijing. Jose Chito Sta. Romana says the shift is a step towards normalizing relations with China which claims most of the South China Sea. The Chinese govenrment’s insistence on its sovereignty over the sea has antagonized other Asian countries including the Philippines that also claims part of the body of water. Relations between the Philippines and the US have been strained since the East Asian country’s president Rodrigo Duterte took the helm in June 2016. Washington is critical of Duterte’s crackdown on narco-trafficking. The Philippine president has dismissed the criticism as an attempt to interfere in his country’s internal affairs. And he has threatened to cut ties with the US.
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