Benefits of not being a US puppet

are applauding what they see as China’s miracle, that from 1988 to 2013, it has lifted out of extreme poverty (those living on $1.90 per day, or roughly P96 per day) 800 million of its citizens from 1988 to 2013.

The very pro-American Aquino over its claims in the South China Sea made the Chinese see us as the US proxy in a dispute that is not its business at all. Despite this legal battle with China, Duterte in only a few months managed to warm up to this Asian superpower.

China seems to have put that arbitration decision we won behind it—as indeed most of the world has. Proof of this is that China pledged during Duterte’s state visit $9 billion in low-interest or soft loans for our infrastructure projects. Total Chinese economic assistance promised by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Duterte is estimated at $24 billion.

Now, the other economic superpower in Asia, Japan, which also has serious territorial disputes with China, can’t be outdone in wooing the Philippines. It rushed to extend to the country a similar magnitude of soft loans.

That idea isn’t even just my analysis. A news story that was published a few days ago in the privately owned Japan

Times, the largest and oldest Englishlanguage newspaper in Japan, said much the same thing. The longtime city mayor who a Yellow writer said wouldn’t understand international geopolitics, is proving to be adept in diplomacy – the essence of which is take advantage of other countries’ self-interest, in order to advance the interests of one’s country.

The Japan Times article

Following is the text of the Japan

Times story: During a summit in Tokyo with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday - viding economic cooperation worth ¥1

The move is seen as an economic assistance race against Beijing to form a better relationship with Manila.

Abe has been trying hard to win Duterte over in dealing with territorial disputes in the South China Sea, in which the Philippines is a key diplomatic player.

Meanwhile, China, too, is trying to woo Manila by pledging to extend economic assistance worth $24 billion (¥2.5 trillion). The pledge was made when Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Duterte in Beijing in October last year.

Then, in January, Abe pledged that the government and private-sector corporations will extend economic years to help Duterte’s initiatives to revamp social infrastructure, including projects to build subways in Manila and improve rivers in Davao City, where Duterte served as mayor for many years.

“The government of Japan will strongly support the sustainable economic development of the Philippines by extending quality infrastructure assistance, using Japan’s funding and technology,” a joint statement issued by the two leaders said.

Japan’s assistance will include pro - tion” in Manila and to “vitalize other areas” as well, it read.

For his part, Duterte has been trying to “maximize” economic assistance both from Japan and China, said Wataru Kusaka, associate professor of political science at the Graduate School of International Development at Nagoya University.

“Duterte’s intention looks very clear. He is trying to maximize what he can win from Japan and China,” Kusaka said.

“So, it’s important for Tokyo to have Philippine people feel that Japan is moving fast, in particular in assisting social infrastructure projects. That’s why infrastructure projects come at the top of the list” of economic cooperation items in a summary of a joint statement released by the Japanese government the same day, Kusaka said.

According to the gist, Japan also pledged to help the Philippines in natural gas facilities to improve the country’s power supply systems.

Tokyo will also help the Philippines crack down on the use of illegal drugs and aid the country in strengthening its maritime safety organization to monitor coastal areas, the statement read.

balanced diplomacy with China, the US and Japan,” Kusaka said.

has put a fresh emphasis on Japan and China, thereby creating a situation where the two economic powers are “competing” to impress Manila with promises of generous fund infusions.

But at the same time, Duterte, despite his crude rhetoric against Washington, may be viewing the US in a different light after US-led troops - lamic State-linked militants in what Marawi, the associate professor said.