October 25, 2016

"Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte embarked on a three-day visit to Japan on Tuesday. Tokyo would like to take this opportunity to pull this president with a strong personality back, pushing him to repair the US-Philippine relationship. It is hoped that Duterte will at least utter different remarks to those he said in Beijing last week, so as to create an impression that Manila is still on the same side as Japan and the US.

But Duterte didn't give the Japanese such a space for fantasy. On the one hand, he praised Japan as a generous friend of the Philippines, on the other hand he continued his tirades against the US, claiming Americans are bullies. He said Washington could 'forget' about an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement during his tenure, and accused it of treating Manila like a 'dog with a leash.'

Besides, prior to Duterte's Japan visit, the Philippine presidential spokesperson publicly stated that the South China Sea issue would not feature on the agenda, and even if it is referred to, 'it would be on the sidelines.'

As Manila's biggest trading partner and one of its major aid providers, Tokyo exerts a certain influence on Manila."

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