Pacific Pivot in Peril. Duarte announces realignment with Russia and China...

Thanks to Nico for the link!

via AFP

"I announce my separation from the United States," he said to applause at a meeting in the Chinese capital.
"America does not control our lives. Enough bullshit," he added in a rambling speech that flipped between languages.
"How can you be the most powerful industrial country when you owe China and you are not paying it?"
His comments came after he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, with the two men pledging to enhance trust and friendship, while playing down a maritime dispute.
Xi called the two countries "neighbours across the sea" with "no reason for hostility or confrontation", the official Xinhua news agency said.

Story here (make sure to watch the vid).

I hope someone in the Pentagon is paying attention.  Why reconstitute US bases on that island when this guy is making these types of statements?  Why continue to provide military assistance of any kind?

I've had Filipino readers state that this guy is speaking for a minority of his country.  Most Presidents do.  He's setting policy and its past time we responded.