‘I Need China’: Duterte’s Pivot to Beijing Shows Signs of Payoff
Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines' president, walks off stage after speaking at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, China, on April 10.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was full of praise for Beijing and even declared his love for Chinese President Xi Jinping as he embarked on his third visit to China this week to foster warmer ties strained by a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
“More than anybody else at this time of our national life, I need China,” Duterte said at a briefing on March 9, adding that China’s help is a “very important ingredient” in his $180-billion infrastructure push.