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Agence France-Presse

Acid-tongued Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte takes his diplomatic roadshow to Japan on Tuesday, days after his apparent tilt towards China raised questions about his strategic intentions.
The Philippines and Japan have long been key US allies in Asia, but Duterte has done a dramatic U-turn since coming to office in late June.
That appeared to culminate last week in Beijing where he declared his “separation” from the United States, played down a maritime dispute with China and pledged to enhance friendship and economic ties.
Back home on Saturday, however, the former mayor seemed to walk back his comments, saying he would not be severing the alliance with Washington.

And on Monday, he went further, telling Japanese media that the US will remain the country’s sole military ally.
“The alliances are alive, it is there,” he said in a reference to the United States, according to Kyodo News. “There should be no worry about changes of alliances. I do not need to have alliances with other nations.”
As Duterte cosies up to China, US says Philippine leader is sparking distress around the world
Other Japanese media including the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun quoted him as saying that all military activities with the US should be halted.
His seesawing has been closely watched in Japan, a major investor and aid donor to Manila that is wary of China’s rising influence.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has worked to beef up ties with Manila by providing patrol boats and has supported it in the territorial row with China, as Japan seeks support in its own maritime dispute with Beijing.
Duterte’s predecessor took Beijing to an international tribunal over its extensive claims in the South China Sea - where it has built artificial islands capable of hosting military facilities - and the Philippines won a resounding victory in July.
How The Hague ruling against China could spell trouble for Japan
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper said that improvement in diplomatic relations among “neighbouring nations” is desirable in principle.
“But if they disrespect the rule of law for the sake of narrow bilateral interest, that would be a grave concern for the Asian region,” it said in a Saturday editorial, referring to Duterte’s Beijing visit.

President Duterte is an anti-US nationalist and populist leader, which doesn’t necessarily mean he is pro-China
Former Japanese diplomat Kunihiko Miyake
Duterte told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that his talks with Abe will centre on economic cooperation and “shared interest” in an interview ahead of his three-day visit.
“Now the most important thing there is the shared interest... it’s about the South China Sea,” he said.
Duterte has made a habit of hurling sharp, even profane, verbal barbs at the US and President Barack Obama, which resulted in Washington cancelling talks between them at an Asean summit last month.
But Kunihiko Miyake, a former Japanese diplomat and visiting professor at Ritsumeikan University, warned against reading too much into such rhetoric.

“President Duterte is an anti-US nationalist and populist leader, which doesn’t necessarily mean he is pro-China,” Miyake said.
Still, he noted the need to “watch closely” his future words and actions.
In recent months Abe has criticised China for rejecting the international tribunal ruling, which said Beijing’s expansive claims to the waters had no legal basis.
Japanese officials said Abe would not overtly try to mediate between Tokyo and Washington but would probably explain the importance of the US role in the region.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will meet Duterte on Tuesday for a low-key dinner, and Abe will hold rare one-on-one talks with Duterte at his residence in Tokyo the next evening following a larger, more formal meeting with senior officials.
“I believe ties between Japan and the Philippines are very important and that seeking to stabilize bilateral ties will lead straight to peace, stability and prosperity of the region as well as of the international community,” Kishida told reporters.
Additional reporting by Reuters


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Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte on Japan visit says US to remain Philippines’ sole military ally after his pivot to China

UnJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (L) and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Abe has sought to strengthen ties with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries as a counter-balance to Beijing. Photo: Kyodo

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte shake hands ahead of their talks in Vientiane, Laos, on Sept. 6, 2016, on the sidelines of regional summit meetings. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (R) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping attend a ceremony welcoming Duterte to China at Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Oct. 20, 2016. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte visits the newly inaugurated Japan's built patrol ship during the ceremony marking the anniversary of the Philippines Coast Guard in Manila, Philippines, October 12, 2016. To match Special Report PHILIPPINES-DUTERTE/DATA REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte attends a meeting with Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, at the Great Hall of the Peopleat the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. China and the Philippines have agreed to resume a dialogue on their dispute over the South China Sea, a senior Chinese diplomat said Thursday following talks between the countries' leaders. (Wu Hong/Pool Photo via AP)

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The Philippine president softened his remarks about a ‘separation’ from long-time ally United States made during a trip last week to China
