The U.S. Can Stay Friends With the Philippines

For a moment last week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte seemed to have orchestrated one of the most dramatic geopolitical shifts in Asia since the end of the Cold War -- abandoning the U.S., his country’s longtime ally, for rival China. Characteristically, he did so with zero subtlety. In responding, the U.S. should avoid making the same mistake.

That’s not to say Duterte’s anti-U.S. comments in Beijing last week should be dismissed as the ravings of a hot-tempered diplomatic lightweight. He remains the Philippines’ legitimately elected leader, and at least some of his supporters hold anti-American views -- stemming in part from America’s history as a colonial overlord. Whatever Duterte meant -- he now says he was talking only about striking a more independent line in foreign policy -- there’s every reason to believe ties with the U.S. will cool in the near term. Meanwhile, China has promised Duterte billions in soft loans and potential infrastructure investments.