‘Not a vassal state’: Philippine leader Duterte backs Chinese companies targeted by US

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte plans to continue partnering with a Chinese state-owned construction company punished by the United States for building artificial islands in the South China Sea. And it will back other Chinese companies that want to do business in his country, a spokesman for the president said.

“We are not a vassal state of any foreign power,” Duterte spokesman Harry Roque said to underscore Manila’s repudiation of President Trump’s crackdown on the China Communications Construction Company.