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[av_heading heading=’China quietly aids PH – Rody ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte praised China for silently helping the Philippines resolve its problem on illegal drugs.
China was unlike other countries that were just criticizing his administration, Duterte told a Chinese news agency said during his state visit on Thursday.
“All that I would need to do is just to talk and get a firm handshake from the (Chinese) officials and say that we are Filipinos and we are ready to cooperate with you, to help us in building our economy and building our country,” he said. “Only China can help us.”
“Some other countries know we are short of money, (but) instead of helping us, all they do is criticize. China never criticizes. They help us quietly,” said Duterte.
Duterte had been vocal in his plan to have an alliance with China instead of the United States, which had been critical of his administration’s war on drugs that resulted in the death of several suspects.
Earlier the President said China was silently helping the Philippines build a drug rehabilitation center.
Duterte also said he will have bilateral talks with China over the West Philippine Sea and will not allow other countries to interfere.
“There is no sense in going to war. There is no sense fighting over a body of water,” he said. “It is better to talk. We want to talk about friendship, we want to talk about cooperation, we want to talk about business. War would lead us to nowhere.”
Duterte went straight to China after another state visit in Brunei.
He met with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday to “boost traditional friendship” with China and “further bilateral trade and economic cooperation.”/PN
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