PRESS RELEASE

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‘The World Doesn’t Need World War III,’ Duterte Says

Oct. 19, 2016 (EIRNS)—In a wide-ranging interview with CCTV, Philippine President Duterte explained his revised stance toward the U.S.

“We are not breaking our alliance with the U.S., he said, “but we want to be friends with everyone.”

“We hope to encourage investment in our country from anyone who wants to, even those who are not accepted by the West, like China and Russia,”

he said. Noting the overriding strategic factors at play here, Duterte declared that “The world doesn’t need World War III." On the South China Sea claims, which he characterized as a “gray area” in the relationship, he noted with concern how it was being escalated.

“If it causes a Third World War, what would be the point of arguing the ownership of the bloody water when the world is exploding?”

“China is already helping my country,” Duterte said. The CCTV coverage had pictures of the facility for drug rehabilitation which was being built in the Philippines by China. It will accommodate 1,400 people. And as Duterte’s Communications Chief noted in another interview, this was a gift, not a loan, from China, to help the Philippines deal with its extensive drug problem.