Philippine president says 'goodbye' to U.S., rekindles China relationship

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping

(Image credit: Ng Han Guan-Pool/Getty Images)

published 20 October 2016

On Thursday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a first step toward restoring ties with China when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Duterte's visit came a day after he declared it was "time to say goodbye" to the U.S. "I will not go to America anymore. We will just be insulted there," Duterte said, in his latest statement hitting the U.S.

Though no major deals were made, Xi and Duterte reportedly signed 13 agreements and also agreed to talk further about territorial disputes over the South China Sea, a disagreement that's driven a wedge between the two nations. "This truly has milestone significance for China-Philippine relations," Xi said, per Filipino press reports. Duterte, meanwhile, called it a "'springtime' for Sino-Philippine ties," The Washington Post reported.

The U.S. is watching the budding relationship warily, as the Philippines has long been a key ally in the region.