Beijing — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his "separation" from the US on Thursday, declaring that it had "lost" and he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks. Duterte made his comments in China, where he is visiting with at least 200 businesspeople to pave the way for what he calls a new commercial alliance as relations with longtime ally the US deteriorate. His trade secretary, Ramon Lopez, said $13.5bn in deals would be signed. Duterte’s efforts to engage China, months after a tribunal ruling in the Hague over South China Sea disputes in favour of the Philippines, marks a reversal in foreign policy since the 71-year-old former mayor took office on June 30. "America has lost now," Duterte told Chinese and Filipino businesspeople at a forum in the Great Hall of the People, attended by Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli. "I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk t...
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