Rodrigo Duterte will not allow US base in Philippines to counter China

Published July 27, 2020 9:44pm ET



Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte doesn’t want the U.S. military to establish a naval base in his country, saying that he fears the site would be a target in a future nuclear war between the United States and China.

“You put up a base at this time? This will ensure that a war breaks out because there will be atomic arsenals brought in,” Duterte told lawmakers Monday during a State of the State address. “This will ensure the extinction of the Filipino race.”

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