Duterte Call With Trump Seen Warming U.S. Ties After China Tilt

  • Trump ‘quite sensitive’ to Philippine drug problem: Duterte
  • Duterte has moved closer to China and Russia in foreign policy

Is a Trump-Duterte Relationship Brewing?

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has repeatedly threatened to break away from the U.S., praised Donald Trump and reassured the president-elect of his country’s ties with America in a call late Friday.

“I could sense a good rapport, an animated President-elect Trump, and he was wishing me success in my campaign against the drug problem,” Duterte said in a statement. “I appreciate the response I got from President-elect Trump and I would like to wish him success. And he wishes us well. And I said that, well, we assured him of our ties with America.”