Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s recent two-day visit to the Philippines ended with dozens of trade deals and economic agreements signed, in a further indication that the Southeast Asian country’s president Rodrigo Duterte is pivoting closer to China’s sphere of influence in the region.
Meanwhile, Duterte’s latest gestures toward China, even as the latter bulks up its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea with increasing militarization, were met with opposition from Filipinos. During Xi’s visit on Nov. 20 and 21, protesters gathered near the Chinese embassy in Manila, the Chinese consulate in Makati City, and at local universities, according to local media, including The Philippine Star and Rappler.
