Perfecto Yasay (Photo : DFA)
China remains an enemy of the Philippines and despite the anti-U.S. rhetoric of its thuggish president, the Philippines has no intention of entering into any military alliance with China.
A military alliance with China isn't going to happen, said Perfecto Yasay, the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
"When we would like to foster closer relationship with China, we will not certainly engage in any alliance with China from a military viewpoint because that has never been the intention of the president," claims Yasay at a hearing before the Philippine Senate.
"The president, on many occasions, has said categorically that he will only have one military alliance, and our only ally in that respect is the United States."
The Philippines has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States signed in 1951 during the administration of President Elpidio Quirino. The treaty provides both nations to support each other if either the Philippines or the United States were to be attacked by an external party.
The Philippines also has two other strategic defense agreements with the U.S. -- the Visiting Forces Agreement of 1998 and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement of 2014. Both agreements survived legal challenges from its opponents, and threats of destabilization from leftist groups allied with the communist movement in the Philippines.
Duterte has admitted to leftist leanings and might be a member of the underground communist movement.
Yasay said Duterte's main objective in visiting China later this month is to strengthen and promote other aspects of the two countries' relationship. These aspects include "trade relations, investment opportunities, infrastructure development cooperation and assistance, people-to-people contact, and cultural exchanges," said Yasay.
Yasay said that while Duterte wants to revive ties with China, "this is not to mean we will be abrogating our alliances with the US, or weakening our friendship with the US".
"The president had also assured our traditional partners and our allies that in so far as engagements with China are concerned, they will be part of the consultations that will be made," according to Yasay.
"And the fact is, the president had been doing this. We had just met with the Japanese, the Australians. And I have met with my American counterpart where consultations are continuing along this line."
