After Trump, it’s phone call with Xi

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, talked over the phone on Wednesday, May 3, to discuss bilateral ties and the situation in the Korean Peninsula.

This was announced by Xinhua via Twitter but China’s state news agency did not give further details regarding the phone call between the two Asian leaders.

For its part, Malacañang confirmed the conversation between Messrs. Duterte and Xi, adding that the Filipino leader thanked Mr. Xi for inviting him to tour a Chinese warship early this week at a port in Davao City, Mr. Duterte’s hometown.

To recall, North Korea’s nuclear threat was also a subject of discussion in the phone call last Saturday between Mr. Duterte and US President Donald J. Trump, as Washington seeks the cooperation of Asian countries to counter Pyongyang’s aggression.

In a media interview on Monday, Mr. Duterte said he would appeal to Mr. Trump to exercise restraint in the Korean Peninsula.

“Our greatest chance there of getting some dialogue with America and North Korea would be through the intercession of China,” Mr. Duterte recalled telling Mr. Trump.

Tension in the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks following reports that North Korea might hold its sixth nuclear test amid UN Security Council resolutions.

The US has been pressing on China, an ally of North Korea, to act on North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

Mr. Duterte has made a stunning turnaround in the Philippines’ diplomatic policy since taking office by courting China to finance his ambitious infrastructure projects while berating traditional ally the US. —