Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he wants the withdrawal of all foreign troops from his country within two years, in another apparent jab at the United States, according to dpa. "I want, maybe in the next two years, my country freed of the presence of foreign military troops. I want them out," Duterte said at an investment forum in Tokyo, a day after arriving here for a three-day visit. "If I have to revise or abrogate agreements, executive agreements, I will," the president said, in an apparent reference to the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty between Washington and Manila. "Then in the fullness of God's time - I am president for six years - I want to be friends with China," he added. "I do not need the arms. I do not want missiles established in my country. I do not need to have the air force to host the bombers with hydrogen bombs," Duterte said. In September, Duterte said hundreds of US troops training Filipino soldiers in counterterrorism on Mindanao should leave and that their presence only worsens the situation in the conflict-wracked region. The US said it had yet to receive any kind of formal request from the Philippines to alter military cooperation or the alliance. "The news that's been made out of the Philippines I would classify as rhetoric at this point," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, calling Duterte's comments contrary to a seven-decade "rock solid alliance that's benefited people and governments in both countries." Duterte's first visit to Japan since he took office in June follows his trip to China last week, during which he announced a "separation from the United States." The president also said that he was re-aligning his foreign policy with China and Russia, and remarked that "America has lost it." In an apparent about-turn on Wednesday, however, Duterte agreed with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the importance of alliances with the US when the two held talks, according to Japanese government officials. The two leaders also agreed to cooperate in resolving territorial spats in the South China Sea peacefully and in accordance with international law. "The Philippines will continue to work closely with Japan on issues of common concern in the region and uphold the shared values of democracy, adherence to the rule of law and the peaceful settlement of disputes, including in the South China Sea," Duterte told a joint news conference after the meeting. On July 12, in a case brought by Manila, an international arbitration court in The Hague ruled that Beijing had no legal right to claim a large swathe of the South China Sea. China did not participate in the arbitration case and rejected the decision as "null and void." On Wednesday, Tokyo pledged 4.9 billion yen (47 million dollars) in loans for agricultural promotion and peace-building on the island of Mindanao, where Duterte served as the longtime mayor of the city of Davao. During the meeting with Abe on Wednesday, Duterte was apparently trying to ease concerns that his amicable gestures to China last week could upset relations between Japan and the Philippines. "Things have changed, but the Philippines would like to reconnect with Japan, and to assure you that we remain your true and loyal partner," Duterte told Abe. Duterte is scheduled to meet Emperor Akihito on Thursday before wrapping up his visit.
