MANILA ¨C Two years after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced a divorce with old ally the United States in return for bumper business ties with China, he doesn¡¯t have much to show for it.
Duterte left Beijing in 2016 with $24 billion of Chinese loans and investment pledges for his ambitious infrastructure overhaul, a few weeks after saying the Philippines was being treated like a dog by Washington and would be better off with China.
But only a fraction of China¡¯s pledged support has materialized, exposing Duterte to criticisms he has been complicit in allowing China to pose threats to Philippines¡¯ sovereignty, and been left high and dry by Beijing.
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