As China has grown in economic, geopolitical and military power, its neighbors have reacted almost uniformly negatively. So what do we make of Duterte’s current willingness to throw his relationship with the United States under the bus? In the case of the Philippines, Duterte’s government seems on the verge of shifting its loyalty to Beijing — essentially, of Finlandization. If the Philippines is realigning its foreign policy, there’s not much the United States can do about it. Duterte has yet to renounce the 65-year-old mutual defense treaty between his country and the United States.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 03, 2016 12:00 UTC