Franchise registrations in Saudi Arabia surge 866% over 3 years    Lulu Saudi Arabia celebrates its 15th anniversary with the grand launch of 'Super Fest 2024'    Cristiano Ronaldo's double powers Al Nassr to 3-1 win over Al Gharafa in AFC Champions League    Culture minister tours Saudi pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka    Al Ahli edges Al Ain 2-1, bolsters perfect start in AFC Champions League Elite    Saud Abdulhamid makes history as first Saudi player in Serie A    Saudi Cabinet to hold special budget session on Tuesday    King Salman orders extension of Citizen's Account Program and additional support for a full year    Al-Falih: 1,238 foreign investors obtain premium residency in Saudi Arabia    Several dead as Storm Bert wreaks havoc across Britain    Irish PM apologizes for walking away from care worker    Most decorated Australian Olympian McKeon retires    Adele doesn't know when she'll perform again after tearful Vegas goodbye    'Pregnant' for 15 months: Inside the 'miracle' pregnancy scam    Hezbollah fires rocket barrages into Israel after deadly Beirut strikes    Ukraine losing ground in Russia's Kursk region, says military source    Do cigarettes belong in a museum?    Saudi Arabia to host 28th Annual World Investment Conference in Riyadh    Riyadh Emir inaugurates International Conference on Conjoined Twins in Riyadh    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Duterte courts Beijing in snub to Washington
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 13 - 10 - 2016

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will make a state visit to China next week in the latest instance of reaching out to Beijing despite an ongoing territorial dispute, while questioning his country's traditional ties with the United States.
The Oct. 18-21 visit will include talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang touching on ways to improve bilateral relations and deepen cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday at a regular news briefing.
"China anticipates that President Duterte's visit can help with enhancing political trust ... dealing with disputes properly through dialogue and bringing the bilateral strategic cooperative relationship for peace and development back to the track of sound and steady development," Geng said.
Without mentioning the dispute over waters and islands in the South China Sea, Geng said the Philippines was a "traditionally amicable neighbor of China."
Duterte, who labels himself a socialist, has turned toward China amid a string of anti-US pronouncements and a falling out with President Barack Obama, whom he has lambasted for criticizing his deadly anti-drug crackdown.
On Tuesday, he said he wouldn't abrogate a defense treaty with the United States but questioned its importance and that of joint combat exercises, which China opposes. He also wants US counterterrorism forces to leave his country's south, saying their presence was inflaming restiveness among minority Muslims.
"We need not really break or abrogate our existing treaties because they say that it could provide us with the umbrella," Duterte said in a speech to the coastguard personnel in Manila.
"We will maintain all military alliances because they say we need it for our defense."
It was not immediately clear who Duterte was attributing the comments to when he mentioned "they" in his justification for maintaining ties.
Though Duterte said the existing military alliances would remain intact, he said joint drills were off the table.
"I insist that we realign, that there will be no more exercises next year. Do not prepare," he said.
"I told Defense Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana, do not make preparations for next year's. I don't want it anymore. I will chart an independent foreign policy."
He told US President Barack Obama last week to "go to hell" and alluded to severing ties with Washington. He also said the Philippines "would not beg" for US aid and dared the US spy agency to oust him.
On Monday, he said that when visiting China he wouldn't discuss sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal, a fishing ground China seized in 2012 that is the crux of the China-Philippines territorial dispute.
That action prompted the government of Duterte's predecessor to file a case against Beijing with an arbitration panel in The Hague, which in July ruled overwhelmingly in Manila's favor. That enraged China, which had refused to take part in the proceedings or honor the outcome.
However, Duterte said he would ask China to allow Filipino fishermen to again operate in the area.
"I will just say, ‘Just let my brother Filipino fishermen go back there to fish,' then we can talk," he said in a speech.
In an earlier speech, he also said that when he meets with Xi, he will offer to open all areas of trade and commerce, along with land leases of up to 120 years for Chinese companies.


Clic here to read the story from its source.