Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has retracted a decision to end a key defence pact with the United States, allowing large-scale combat exercises between US and Philippine forces that at times have alarmed China to proceed.
Duterte’s decision was announced Friday by Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a joint news conference with visiting US counterpart Lloyd Austin in Manila. It was a step back from the Philippine leader’s stunning vow early in his term to distance himself from Washington as he tried to rebuild frayed ties with China over territorial rifts in the South China Sea.
