This Sept. 9, 2015, photo shows environmental activists rallying outside the Philippine Senate in Manila to demand that scores of containers filled with household trash be shipped back to Canada. The dispute has cemented Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s domestic reputation as a hard-talking defender of his people. The incident also underscores how Duterte’s tough talk has been squarely directed at the West, rather than closer and more visceral threats such as China. Last week, the Philippines recalled its ambassador to Canada after the country missed a May 15 deadline to reclaim the garbage. The Canadian rubbish in the Philippines was labeled “high-quality plastic” but was just household trash.

Source: Washington Post May 23, 2019 09:17 UTC