How China Won Over Duterte
It’s not just a question of money – although that certainly helps.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte seems to have had a grand time in China at the United States’ expense. In a meeting with Chinese business leaders on October 20, he proclaimed that “America has lost… I’ve realigned myself in [China’s] ideological flow.” It was the culmination of weeks of harsh rhetoric toward the United States and obvious efforts to cozy up to China instead – despite long-standing territorial disputes in the South China Sea that have sparked popular anti-China protests in the Philippines.
Why the shift? Aside from what seems to be Duterte’s own personal dislike of the United States, he’s clearly attracted by two things Beijing can offer that Washington can’t (or won’t): financial aid and political support. The combination is a tried-and-true one that China has used to woo many countries over the years, and lately it’s been having more and more success when applied to traditional U.S. partners like Egypt and Thailand. Money is an obvious incentive for a cash-strapped government with big ambitions, but political support for a morally questionable regime can be just as valuable. Whether the military juntas in Egypt and Thailand or the democratically-elected president in the Philippines who by his own admission doesn’t “give a shit” about human rights, China has discovered that its lack of criticism – or even open support – goes a long way toward currying favor.
Duterte has made no secret that his primary goal in talking up China is economic. “If we can have the things you have given to other countries by the way of assistance, we'd also like to be a part of it,” Duterte said in an interview with China’s state news agency, Xinhua, just before his visit. In 2014, China unveiled a $40 billion Silk Road Fund to invest in countries along its planned “Belt and Road.” The Philippines, however, has been mostly left out of the bonanza, with tensions over the South China Sea running high under Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III. Duterte is now trying to get Manila’s piece of the $40 billion pie.
As Duterte pointedly seeks China’s favor, even offering to ignore a favorable ruling by an international tribunal against China’s South China Sea claims, China has rewarded him. During his meeting with the Filipino president, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China was ready to both help build up the Philippines’ infrastructure and encourage Chinese companies to invest in the Southeast Asian nation.
According to the Philippines’ trade secretary, Ramon Lopez, China and the Philippines signed agreements amounting to $24 billion during the state visit, including $9 billion in soft loans and $11 billion worth of deals in railroads, ports, energy, and mining. The agreements signed with China during his visit “are expected to generate 2 million jobs for the Filipinos in the next five years," Duterte said in a speech upon his return to the Philippines. Not a bad payout for Duterte’s strategy.
However, China is also willing to offer something potentially even more valuable: political cover for Duterte’s controversial war on drugs. Human rights activists and Western governments alike have been unrelenting of their criticism as extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and users since Duterte took office have topped 3,000. The Philippine president has been nothing if not unrepentant, even expressing his wish to follow in the footsteps of Adolf Hitler: “Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. Now, there are 3 million drug addicts … I’d be happy to slaughter them.”
The human rights violations inherent in Duterte’s war on drugs have caused major friction with the United States. It was in this context that Duterte famously called Obama the “son of a whore” – the Philippine president had been asked how he would respond if his U.S. counterpart criticized the anti-drug campaign. China, meanwhile, has taken the opposite approach, and offered enthusiastic support for the war on drugs – something not lost on the besieged Duterte.
On October 14, ahead of Duterte’s visit, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson offered Beijing’s whole-hearted approval of the anti-drug campaign. “Drug [sic] is the common enemy of mankind… We understand and support the Philippine government's policy to prioritize anti-drug campaigns under the leadership of President Duterte,” spokesperson Geng Shuang said. “We would like to strengthen anti-drug cooperation with the Philippines and create a healthy living environment for people of the two countries and the region.”
Likewise, even before Duterte arrived in Beijing, he praised China for helping his anti-drug campaign by building a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. “China offered to help,” Duterte said, noting that the facility would help reduce overcrowding in prisons.
As a sign of the priority placed on the war on drugs by both sides, the topic also featured in the joint statement issued at the conclusion of Duterte’s visit. The statement formally reiterated that “China understands and supports [the] Philippine Government's efforts in fighting against illicit drugs.” Moreover, the two countries pledged increased cooperation on drug control, agreeing to set up a mechanism for joint investigations and intelligence collection on “special cases.” China also offered to train Filipino security personnel and to provide “drug detection, seizure, and testing equipment.” Separately, China’s Narcotics Control Bureau, part of the Ministry of Public Security, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency signed a Protocol on Cooperation during Duterte’s visit.
China’s willingness to turn a blind eye to human rights issues under its policy of non-interference has often helped it win over leaders who face ostracization and criticism from the West, including Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, the Kim regime in North Korea, and the former military leaders of Myanmar. Now that policy is being applied to good effect in the Philippines, where Duterte is clearly just as eager for China’s sympathetic political statements as he is for its money.
Duterte himself pointed to both these factors – political and economic support – in explaining his fondness for China. “Some other countries know we are short of money, [but] instead of helping us, all they had to do was just to criticize. China never criticizes. They help us quietly,” Duterte told Xinhua. Both these points – the financial “help” and the lack of criticism – are clearly valuable for Duterte. And both are key parts of the Chinese blueprint for how to win friends and influence leaders.