Initially a Spanish colony since the 16th century, the Philippines was ceded to the United States in compensation for the American-Spanish war which ended in 1898 with the Treaty of Paris. Following the Japanese invasion of 1942, and the defeat of the latter in 1945, the country proclaimed its independence and became one of the founding countries of the United Nations in 1946. However, the Philippine authorities granted military concessions to the American forces for 99 years. in 1947, and in 1951 signed a very close military cooperation treaty with Washington. In fact, throughout the Cold War, the Philippines was a pillar of the American presence in the Pacific, just like Japan, Australia or South Korea.
More This cooperation is likely to end soon with a unilateral decision by President Rodrigo Duterte, which according to the terms of the agreement, gives 180 days to the two protagonists to find an axis of negotiation before being denounced. This decision, if it had been more or less fashionable for 3 years, given the bad relations between Washington and President Duterte, still caught the Trump administration by surprise, which for the moment has not could only regret it publicly. It must be said that since his election in 2016, the Philippine president, known for his extreme positions in certain areas, notably in terms of security and the fight against drug trafficking, has had at least tumultuous relations with Washington, while 'he has repeatedly expressed his "admiration" for Russia and China, as for their leaders.
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