(VOVworld) - Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte pledged to maintain existing defense treaties and military alliances with the US, a decades-old relation, despite plan to cancel future joint military exercises.

Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte pledged to maintain existing defense treaties and military alliances with the US, despite plan to cancel future joint military exercises (Source: VNA)

Duterte reiterated in a speech to the Philippine Coast Guard on Wednesday that the joint exercises with US troops scheduled for 2017 will be cancelled. The defense alliance will continue, however. 

At the same time, Duterte’s foreign policy is realigning towards China and Russia, which Duterte plans to visit, starting with China from Oct 18-21.