A long-term ally signals a foreign policy pivot away from the US

Just a few months ago, most experts in Washington and their counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region were certain the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines would draw the U.S.-Philippines alliance even closer together. Instead, in a move still largely baffling to Washington’s policy-makers, the Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte recently announced his “separation” from the United States, indicating in no uncertain terms that his nation’s foreign policy has veered toward China.

The Philippines’ president could have been grandstanding ahead of his delegation’s recent trade talks with China. Or maybe the U.S. ally of seven decades is truly pivoting away from Washington.