Washington received no request from Manila to alter cooperation–US official
President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a press conference in Beijing, China, on Oct. 19. Duterte’s effusive message of friendship on his visit to Beijing this week has handed China a public relations bonanza just three months after Beijing suffered a humiliating defeat by an international tribunal. AP
WASHINGTON, United States—The government of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has made no formal request to modify its cooperation with Washington, despite his declared “separation” from the United States, a US official said Thursday.
The official, who asked to remain unnamed, told AFP “we still have not received any requests through official channels to alter our assistance to or cooperation with the Philippines.”
READ: Duterte announces military, economic split with US
Duterte met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, where he said Thursday, “I announce my separation from the United States.”
The Philippines leader is in China for a four-day trip seen as confirming his tilt away from Washington and towards Beijing’s sphere of influence.
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