The long shadow of Duterte's China embrace

ON July 19, 2024, bestselling author Marites Dañguilan Vitug and journalist Camille Elemia launched a new book titled "Unrequited Love: Duterte's China Embrace." The book offers an in-depth look into former president Rodrigo Duterte's pivot to China during his administration, shedding light on the different causes of Duterte's affiliation with China and how this affected the Philippines.

The first part of the book, "From Davao to Malacañang," discusses Duterte's growing personal disenchantment with the United States due to certain grievances he had toward the nation and the West, which Vitug delves into. This dissatisfaction ultimately led Duterte to pivot to China even before his presidency. When he was still its mayor, Duterte led Davao toward Beijing by relying on Chinese economic aid for infrastructure projects and development, laying the groundwork for his pro-China sentiments.