Duterte will aim to strike a balance

The major foreign policy challenge facing Rodrigo Duterte when he takes office as the Philippines president will arguably be balancing the enhancement of the Philippine's defense relations with the United States and the improvement of the country's political ties with China.

Duterte needs to ally the fear in the US that his presidency will lead to the cooling of Philippine-American relations, considering his nasty remarks against the US during his election campaign. Having been associated with personalities in the Philippine communist movement, Duterte displayed a critical and lukewarm attitude toward the US during the election.

Because the Philippine Supreme Court has declared the constitutionality of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, Duterte has committed to the inevitable implementation of the EDCA. But he asserts that he will closely monitor the agreement to ensure it is implemented in accordance with the Philippine's national interests.