Duterte Aligns Philippines With China, Says U.S. ‘Has Lost’

A new Asian bloc with China as the umbrella protectorate is forming.

Exit Pax Americana.

Enter Pax Asia Pacifica.

 

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands / REUTERS

 

BEIJING (Reuters)–Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States on Thursday, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks.

Duterte made his comments in Beijing, where he is visiting with at least 200 business people to pave the way for what he calls a new commercial alliance as relations with longtime ally Washington deteriorate.

“In this venue, your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States,” Duterte told Chinese and Philippine business people, to applause, at a forum in the Great Hall of the People attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.

“Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost.”

Obama will bypass Congress, seek U.N. resolution on nuclear testing

President Obama (Pool photo by Chris Kleponis/European Pressphoto Agency)

 

President Obama has decided to seek a new United Nations Security Council resolution that would call for an end to nuclear testing, a move that leading lawmakers are calling an end run around Congress.

Top administration officials, including Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, briefed lawmakers and congressional staffers this week about President Obama’s decision to push for the U.N. action this September, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which was adopted in September 1996 but was never ratified by the Senate.