Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement of his country’s “separation” from the United States and marriage to China is a “major blow to US imperial ambitions in Asia,” according to an American a writer and retired professor.
James Petras, a professor emeritus of sociology at Binghamton University in New York, and adjunct professor at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada, made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Friday.
During a visit to China on Thursday, President Duterte announced a “separation from the US,” saying the separation applied to military and economic cooperation between Washington and Manila.
Despite this public snub, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter insisted on Friday that his country intends to keep its alliance commitments to the Philippines.
“We have important alliance commitments which we intend to keep in the Philippines,” Carter said, adding, “Obviously any relationship is one of…