Philippine officials seek clarity after Duterte suggests end of U.S. exercises

Record ID: 83485

  • Title: Philippine officials seek clarity after Duterte suggests end of U.S. exercises
  • Date: 29th September 2016
  • Summary: HANOI, VIETNAM (SEPTEMBER 29, 2016) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** FLAGS FLYING OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN HANOI PHILIPPINES AND VIETNAM NATIONAL FLAGS STANDING VARIOUS OF PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE SHAKING HANDS WITH VIETNAMESE PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN XUAN PHUC FLAGS STANDING BY STATUE OF HO CHI MINH OFFICIALS SITTING IN MEETING ROOM PHUC SPEAKING DUTERTE LISTENING VARIOUS OF PHUC AND VIETNAMESE DELEGATION DUTERTE AND FILIPINO DELEGATION DUTERTE SPEAKING PHUC LISTENING DUTERTE SPEAKING PHUC SPEAKING DUTERTE SPEAKING FILIPINO DELEGATION MEETING IN PROGRESS VARIOUS OF DUTERTE SHAKING HANDS WITH COMMUNIST PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY NGUYEN PHU TRONG OFFICIALS SITTING IN MEETING ROOM DUTERTE SPEAKING TO TRONG DUTERTE SPEAKING TRONG LISTENING FILIPINO DELEGATION SITTING TRONG SPEAKING DUTERTE LISTENING VIETNAMESE DELEGATION SITTING MEETING IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 14th October 2016 13:48
  • Keywords: Rodrigo Duterte Hanoi Vietnam Philippines joint military exercise United States
  • Location: HANOI, VIETNAM
  • City: HANOI, VIETNAM
  • Country: Vietnam
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA00151MDHL1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Philippine officials said on Thursday (September 29) they were awaiting clarification from President Rodrigo Duterte about military exercises with U.S. forces after he promised to honour their defence treaty but declared joint war games would cease, as he met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi.
    The maverick former Philippine mayor, famous for his unpredictability and terse rhetoric, on Wednesday (September 28) told Filipinos in Vietnam that joint marine drills with next week would be "the last", a comment he slowly repeated.
    His remarks gave one of the clearest signs yet of his willingness to test the limits of a historic alliance that has provided important defence support for the Philippines and helped the United States further its Asia rebalance strategy in the face of an increasingly assertive China.
    During a two-day visit to Vietnam where he held talks with Phuc and Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, Duterte did not speak to media but his foreign secretary, Perfecto Yasay, said long-standing treaties with the United States would be honoured.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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