Dialoguepk

Change and continuity in the Philippine–US–China triangle 11 May 2020 Author: Richard Javad Heydarian, Manila Shortly after his landslide election victory in 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte  declared  his intention to chart a new course for the Philippines independent of the United States. Just months earlier, he  made it clear  that he intended to approach China for development assistance. Four years on, Duterte shocked the world by  unilaterally nixing  the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) — the linchpin of the Philippine–US alliance since the end of Cold War. Duterte’s presidency marks the greatest transformation in Philippine foreign policy since  US colonisation  a century ago. Some critics portray him as a  Manchurian candidate  — a ‘ Filipino Hugo Chavez ’ — who will turn a long-time US ally into China’s regional proxy. Others dismiss him as more bark than bite, highlighting the  robust fundamentals  of Philippine­–US relations despite Duterte’s  repeated threats