Duterte may reject U.S. invite
MANILA— President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines said on Monday that he might not accept U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to visit the White House, because he was “tied up” with a busy schedule.
“I cannot make any definite promise,” Duterte said, adding, “I’m supposed to go to Russia. I’m also supposed to go to Israel.”
Trump’s invitation Saturday to Duterte, an authoritarian leader who has been accused of ordering extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, drew criticism from human rights advocates, who said such a visit would amount to a White House endorsement of Duterte’s policies. Thousands have been gunned down in the Philippines since Duterte took office in June, promising a harsh crackdown on narcotics.
White House officials said Trump had called Duterte to try to mend their countries’ recently strained relationship, as a bulwark against China’s expansionism in the South China Sea. Reince Priebus, White House chief of staff, said Trump also wanted to build a united front in Asia in opposition to North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear and missile technology.
Duterte said his conversation with Trump had been amicable and that he had urged the U.S. leader to tread carefully with North Korea. “Our greatest chance there of getting some dialogue with America and North Korea would be through the intercession of China,” he said.
The Philippines and China have long-standing territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but Duterte has pivoted toward Beijing and away from Washington since taking office.