US seeks clarity on Duterte 'separation' comments

"America has lost," President Rodrigo Duterte told a business forum in China

The US has said it will seek clarity on the Philippine president's announcement of a "separation from the US".

Rodrigo Duterte made the comments in China on Thursday at an economic forum, saying the separation applied to military and economic co-operation.

US officials said the remarks were "at odds" with the "close relationship" shared by the countries.

Mr Duterte has grown increasingly hostile towards the US - a traditional ally - since taking office in June.

His presidential spokesman said the latest comments were a "restatement" of "independent foreign policy".

"This is not an intent to renege on our treaties, but an assertion that we are an independent and sovereign nation," Ernesto Abella said on Friday.

He explained Mr Duturte wanted to "separate the nation from dependence on the US and the West and rebalance economic and military relations with Asian neighbours".

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Several members of Mr Duterte's cabinet members have also said their country would not sever ties with Washington.

Speaking at a business forum in Beijing on Thursday, Mr Duterte said: "I announce my separation from the United States. Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost."

"I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to [President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world - China, Philippines, and Russia. It's the only way," Mr Duterte said.

The Philippines hopes to attract more Chinese tourists

This was not the Philippine president's first mention of a separation from the US.

He recently said he would end joint military exercises with American troops and told US President Barack Obama he could "go to hell" after US criticism over his bloody war against drugs.

US State Department spokesman John Kirby said the US was "baffled by this rhetoric" and that Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel would be in Manila this weekend to try to get some answers.

South China Sea deals

Mr Duterte is in China to promote trade and business deals including deals to attract more Chinese tourists to the Philippines and increasing Filipino food exports to China. He also said he would approach China to buy weapons and boats to upgrade the country's military.

Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Ramon Lopez said he hoped $13.5bn (£11bn) in deals would be signed during the Beijing visit.

Previous relations between China and the Philippines had deteriorated over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, after an international tribunal sided with Manila and rejected Beijing's claims.

But on Thursday, the two countries said they would restart dialogue to resolve the dispute.

Although Mr Duterte maintained fiery rhetoric towards Beijing during his presidential campaign, he switched to a more reconciliatory tone after taking power in June.