Rodrigo Duterte wants a "soft landing" on the South China Sea dispute, as practical cooperation on other fronts with China would result in more mutually beneficial fruits, his communications chief said on Saturday, while confirming the Philippine president will visit China within this month.
Philippine Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar noted that Manila, under Duterte administration's independent foreign policy, has departed from his predecessor's reliance on the United States.
But analysts pointed out that the Philippines is trying to achieve better balance between the world's major power with great finesse, though Andanar denied Manila is resorting to so-called balancing act, as some other regional countries do, to maximize its own interests.
Calling the U.S. "still an ally", Andanar said, "it is just that Philippines has awaken to the reality that we should also talk to other people" in an exclusive interview with China Daily.
"The U.S. has time and again reminded us their pivot to Asia. That's their foreign policy. We respect their foreign policy. Now we have a new president in the Philippines, having an independent foreign policy," he said.
"To paraphrase what the president has mentioned before, he said that it is enough that we have tried the food that has [been] offered to us by other countries, and it is time for us to try the banquet in China," Andanar added.
Duterte has repeatedly criticized the U.S. since coming to power in July. He said on Wednesday that he wants an end to the Philippines' joint military exercises with the United States, adding that the upcoming scheduled drill in a few days will be the last under his term
Earlier this month, he said he would not allow government forces to conduct joint patrols of disputed waters near the South China Sea with foreign powers. He has said he wants U.S. military forces out of the southern Philippines and blamed America for inflaming local Muslim insurgencies there.
Duterte has even said he would visit China and Russia this year to have "open alliances" with them.
Despite Duterte's strong and clear rhetoric, pundits said it is impossible for the Philippines to "ditch" the U.S. as a partner.
Zhang Jie, an analyst with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the key consideration of the Duterte administration is improving ties with China not at the cost of antagonizing the U.S., in an effort to share benefits of China's economic growth while enjoying the U.S.'s protection in terms of security.
Shi Yinhong, professor with the Renmin University of China, said the Philippines seeks U.S.'s protection while blaming it.
Though the blaming got louder under Duterte's leadership, it's not possible for Manila to break up with, or ditch, Washington, he said.
"Indeed, it would be in our best interest as a small country to be seen as impartial in dealing with other countries, particularly the world powers, and in defining our country's standing in the global community," Philippine Daily Inquirer, a local newspaper, has pointed out in a recent comment piece.
Andanar denied such measures as typical balancing act, but said it just highlighted the country's independent foreign policy, of which sovereignty lies at its core.
"It's not about balancing this, balancing that. It's about being warm to everyone. We have to be friends to everyone, but enemy to no one," he said, noting bringing benefits to ordinary Filipinos is the ultimate goal of such foreign policy.
He said even the South China Sea dispute won't stop China and the Philippines to improve their bilateral ties.
Adopting a humble manner, Andanar downplayed the dispute, and said there are "so many things" that the Philippines can "learn and get from" China, the world's number two economy and a, very close neighbor, geographically.
"Our president would like to work on the side of peace. He wants a soft landing (on South China Sea dispute)," he said.
Andanar said Duterte "does not want to limit our relationship to one issue", noting there is "astronomical number of things", including infrastructure, agriculture, industry, maritime security, etc., that China can help with.
Andanar's remarks resonates with that of former Philippine president Fidel Ramos, when he acted as an icebreaker of Beijing-Manila ties to visit Hong Kong as Duterte's special envoy in August.
During their informal discussions in Hong Kong, Ramos and Fu Ying, foreign affairs chief of China's top legislature－the National People's Congress, explored possible human and ecological security options and suggested cooperation in fields such as fishing, tourism, trade and investment, and the fight against corruption to benefit both sides.
Meanwhile, China has offered its support to Duterte's "war on drugs".
"The Chinese government is a staunch force in the international campaign against drug crimes. The Chinese side fully understands and firmly supports the Duterte administration's policy that priorities the fight against drug crimes and stands ready to continue to cooperate with the Philippines by providing further assistance and jointly implementing bilateral plan of action," Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua has said this week.
