Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Thursday that he is will be leaving the United States for China. Duterte explained that he had reconnected with China over their agreement to talk through and resolve their South China Sea dispute. "In this venue, your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States,""Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost." In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it was "baffled" by Duterte's comments and would seek an explanation when Daniel Russel, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, visits Manila this weekend.
