Photo from Chinese Embassy Manila Facebook page
CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 18 July) — Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Monday, over a year after his six-year term ended.
The meeting came exactly a week before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA). The Marcos administration has recently revitalized ties with the United States and US President Joe Biden had welcomed him at the White House on May 1.
During the meeting, the Chinese leader reportedly lauded Duterte for improving the bilateral ties between Beijing and Manila during his tenure from 2016 to 2022.
China-Philippines relations were able to return to the right track and prosper, a demonstration of the important contributions Duterte made to friendly exchanges between the two countries, the state-owned media, Xinhua, reported.
Xi also expressed hopes that Duterte will continue to play an important role in the friendly cooperation between the two countries, it said.
Xinhua reported that Duterte also thanked China for its “valuable support to the Philippines’ economic and social development.”
Duterte said that developing friendly relations between the two countries “serves the interests of the two peoples and conforms to the aspiration of the majority of the Philippine people,” according to Xinhua.
The former Philippine President promised to continue contributing to promoting bilateral friendship with China, it said.
Duterte, at the start of his Presidency in 2016, pivoted to China after Washington then criticized his deadly all-out-war campaign on illegal drugs . He ended his six-year term without visiting the United States.
Amid brewing tensions between Beijing and Washington, Marcos announced in April four additional sites in the Philippines that US troops can access for joint training exercises under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The four sites – Naval Base Camilo Osias and Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan, Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela and Balabac Island in Palawan — bring to nine the total number of EDCA sites in the Philippines.
The first five sites are Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Nueva Ecija, Palawan and Pampanga.
“Strategic choice”
Hua Chunying, assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on Twitter that President Xi appreciates the “strategic choice” Duterte made during his incumbency to improve the bilateral relationship of the Philippines with China as well as his important contributions to friendly exchanges between the two countries.
“China values its relations with the Philippines and is ready to work with the Philippines to promote the steady and sustained growth of bilateral relations,” she said.
During his program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” aired over SMNI News last June 26, Duterte revealed that he was “regularly” meeting with Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, who warned that the Philippines would not be spared if it allows the US to utilize its military installations in the country to launch an “aggressive action” against China.
Duterte said the Chinese envoy conveyed to him, during their recent “meeting,” that even the Philippines, one of the strongest allies of China, would become a target once the US forces initiate an attack against Beijing.
“I reminded him again that the Philippines does not have a quarrel with China,” Duterte said, “but his answer to me was, ‘if you provide places where there can be an aggressive action to China, the Philippines would always be a target.’”
He urged the Marcos Jr. administration and the US to inform the Filipino people about the “US military bases” under EDCA that have actually been established in the country, warning that the country would become a battleground if war erupts between US and China.
Duterte feared that the “the next war or wars will be fought mainly using nuclear warheads.”
“We don’t know because of EDCA, they might be bringing in some right now. There is no accounting of the weapons in the hands of Americans to use against China if war breaks out. But we can be sure and it would be stupid for us or so naive to think that there is none,” he said.
Duterte said that the consequence of a US attack on China would be a retaliation with nuclear arms against the Philippines.
He said he does not welcome the US military installations in the country because it will “spell disaster,” apparently referring to the possible catastrophic consequence of a possible war between US and China.
In April, Marcos said the Philippines would not allow the EDCA sites to be used as launching pads for offensive attacks.
“We will not let any of our bases be used for whatever offensive action,” the Philippine Star quoted Marcos as saying during the Araw ng Kagitingan commemoration in Bataan. “These are just to help the Philippines if the country needs any help,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
