“Words matter, and we want to see an atmosphere that is cordial and open to strong cooperation,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a regular news briefing in Washington. “We have a lot of ties between the United States and the Philippines. The White House then said Obama might speak with Duterte informally. The Philippines has been central in this effort due to an international court case it brought and won against Beijing. Asked about Duterte’s comments, US secretary of defence Ash Carter said the defence relationship with the Philippines was a “strong” and “longstanding” one.

Source: Hindustan Times September 07, 2016 06:33 UTC