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| Rodrigo Duterte Says He May Be Too Busy for White House Visit | Rodrigo Duterte Says He May Be Too Busy for White House Visit |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines said on Monday that he might not accept President Trump’s invitation to visit the White House, because he was “tied up” with a busy schedule. | MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines said on Monday that he might not accept President Trump’s invitation to visit the White House, because he was “tied up” with a busy schedule. |
| “I cannot make any definite promise,” Mr. Duterte said, adding, “I’m supposed to go to Russia; I’m also supposed to go to Israel.” | |
| Mr. Trump’s invitation on Saturday to Mr. Duterte, an authoritarian leader who has been accused of ordering extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, drew criticism from human rights advocates, who said such a visit would amount to a White House endorsement of Mr. Duterte’s policies. Thousands of people have been gunned down in the Philippines since Mr. Duterte took office in June, promising a crackdown on narcotics. | Mr. Trump’s invitation on Saturday to Mr. Duterte, an authoritarian leader who has been accused of ordering extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, drew criticism from human rights advocates, who said such a visit would amount to a White House endorsement of Mr. Duterte’s policies. Thousands of people have been gunned down in the Philippines since Mr. Duterte took office in June, promising a crackdown on narcotics. |
| White House officials said Mr. Trump had called Mr. Duterte in an effort to mend their countries’ recently strained relationship, as a bulwark against China’s expansionism in the South China Sea. Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, said Mr. Trump also wanted to build a united front in Asia in opposition to North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear and missile technology. | White House officials said Mr. Trump had called Mr. Duterte in an effort to mend their countries’ recently strained relationship, as a bulwark against China’s expansionism in the South China Sea. Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, said Mr. Trump also wanted to build a united front in Asia in opposition to North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear and missile technology. |
| Mr. Duterte said his conversation with Mr. Trump had been amicable, and that he had urged the American leader to tread carefully with North Korea. “Our greatest chance there of getting some dialogue with America and North Korea would be through the intercession of China,” he said. | Mr. Duterte said his conversation with Mr. Trump had been amicable, and that he had urged the American leader to tread carefully with North Korea. “Our greatest chance there of getting some dialogue with America and North Korea would be through the intercession of China,” he said. |
| The Philippines and China have longstanding territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but Mr. Duterte has moved toward Beijing and away from Washington since taking office. He spoke to reporters on Monday after touring Chinese warships in port in Davao City, his hometown, and said that the Philippines and China might hold joint naval exercises. | The Philippines and China have longstanding territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but Mr. Duterte has moved toward Beijing and away from Washington since taking office. He spoke to reporters on Monday after touring Chinese warships in port in Davao City, his hometown, and said that the Philippines and China might hold joint naval exercises. |
| Josh Kurlantzick, a senior fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations, said he expected Mr. Duterte would still come to the United States, but he may not want to seem too eager to do so. | |
| “Even though he welcomes a better relationship with this U.S. president, he wants to be cautious that he does not appear to be embracing the U.S. too much, given that he has devoted a fair amount of diplomatic resources to courting China,” Mr. Kurlantzick said. | “Even though he welcomes a better relationship with this U.S. president, he wants to be cautious that he does not appear to be embracing the U.S. too much, given that he has devoted a fair amount of diplomatic resources to courting China,” Mr. Kurlantzick said. |
| Mr. Trump continued his efforts at Southeast Asian diplomacy on Sunday when he called Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, prime minister of Thailand, and invited them to the White House. Human rights advocates have criticized General Prayuth, who seized power in a 2014 coup, for the crackdown on civil liberties by his military government. | |
| The calls over the weekend are a sign that Mr. Trump wants to focus on developing ties with traditional American allies in Southeast Asia, said Bonnie S. Glaser, senior adviser for Asia with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. | The calls over the weekend are a sign that Mr. Trump wants to focus on developing ties with traditional American allies in Southeast Asia, said Bonnie S. Glaser, senior adviser for Asia with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. |
| “It doesn’t surprise me that these three countries were called in a two-day period,” Ms. Glaser said. “It seems to be a clear signal they do want strengthen these relationships.” | “It doesn’t surprise me that these three countries were called in a two-day period,” Ms. Glaser said. “It seems to be a clear signal they do want strengthen these relationships.” |
| That willingness even extended to North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un. On Monday, Mr. Trump told Bloomberg News that he was open to meeting Mr. Kim “under the right circumstances.” | That willingness even extended to North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un. On Monday, Mr. Trump told Bloomberg News that he was open to meeting Mr. Kim “under the right circumstances.” |
| Mr. Duterte, who once referred to President Barack Obama as a “son of a whore,” suggested on Monday that his differences with the United States had had much to do with Mr. Obama. “It was not a distancing, but it was rather a rift between me, maybe, and the State Department and Mr. Obama, who spoke openly against me,” Mr. Duterte said. | Mr. Duterte, who once referred to President Barack Obama as a “son of a whore,” suggested on Monday that his differences with the United States had had much to do with Mr. Obama. “It was not a distancing, but it was rather a rift between me, maybe, and the State Department and Mr. Obama, who spoke openly against me,” Mr. Duterte said. |
| He added: “Things have changed. There’s a new leadership.” | He added: “Things have changed. There’s a new leadership.” |
| Criticism of Mr. Trump’s invitation to Mr. Duterte continued on Monday. “Countries with close bilateral ties to the Philippines, particularly the United States, have an obligation to urge accountability for the victims of Duterte’s abusive drug war, rather than offer to roll out the red carpet for official state visits with its mastermind,” said Phelim Kine, a deputy director in Human Rights Watch’s Asia division. | Criticism of Mr. Trump’s invitation to Mr. Duterte continued on Monday. “Countries with close bilateral ties to the Philippines, particularly the United States, have an obligation to urge accountability for the victims of Duterte’s abusive drug war, rather than offer to roll out the red carpet for official state visits with its mastermind,” said Phelim Kine, a deputy director in Human Rights Watch’s Asia division. |