Japan is a staunch US ally and hosts 50,000 American troops, while Duterte has repeatedly spoken of distancing his country from Washington, often in crude terms. Earlier Wednesday, Duterte said that he wants his country to be free of foreign troops, possibly within two years. "In that regard, Japan welcomes the effort of President Duterte visiting China and endeavoring to improve the Philippine-China relations." Officials declined to provide details of their second round of talks, in which Abe was expected to ask Duterte specifically about his foreign policy. "Japan will continue to play an important role in modernizing the capabilities of the Philippines" in maritime security, Duterte said.

Source: Philippine Star October 27, 2016 01:38 UTC