President Duterte eyes sending soldiers to China for anti-terrorism training

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing sending soldiers to China so they could be trained.

Duterte made the pronouncement in a speech before Filipino-Chinese businessmen at the Manila Hotel on Monday.

“(I)’m sure there is an academy there to train good professional Chinese soldiers. Maybe China can accommodate them also and let them not really to fight the Americans but terrorism,” Duterte said.

Relations between the Philippines and China have warmed since Duterte assumed the presidency.

His predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, adopted a hard stance in the South China Sea dispute, taking China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration which eventually ruled in favor of the Philippines.