US President Donald Trump has met with his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte in Manila, as hundreds of angry of people took to the streets of the capital to protest the US military presence in their country.
Duterte greeted Trump, who was attending a gala celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—China, Russia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
The two leaders shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before posing for a group photo and sitting down for dinner. Trump and Duterte will hold more formal talks on Monday.
As the ASEAN leaders were arriving in succession, Duterte set the tone for this year’s ASEAN session by pointing out the regional tensions fueled by disputes over the South China Sea.
“We have to be friends, the other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues,” Duterte said at a press conference.
“The South…