The Duterte Administration’s Selective Integration Of The Indopacific Strategy Of The United States

After the Donald Trump came to power in 2017,he readjusted and redeployed the U.S.Asia strategy and the U.S.strategy towards China,and formally proposed the Indo-Pacific Strategy,which established three pillars of security,economic and governance and aimed at counterbalancing China.As one of the traditional allies of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region,Philippines plays an important role in the deployment and implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States.The Philippine Duterte administration has adopted a policy of selective integration into the Indo-Pacific strategy of the United States.On the security level,the Duterte administration has shown an indifferent attitude towards the Indo-Pacific strategy of the United States,which mainly manifested in the Philippine army continued to maintain joint exercises and training with the U.S.military,expanded sources of arms procurement,adjusted U.S.-Philippines security cooperation mechanisms,and the Duterte administration restricted the U.S.military deployment in the Philippines.On the economic level,the Duterte administration is actively integrated into the IndoPacific Strategy of the United States,which is specifically manifested in the Duterte administration docked the “Build,Build,Build,Infrastructure Program” with the IndoPacific strategy of the United States and strengthened U.S.-Philippines energy cooperation and digital technology cooperation.On the governance level,the Duterte administration has shown a clear rejection of the U.S.Indo-Pacific strategy,which mainly manifested Duterte administration opposed the United States to interfere in the internal affairs of the Philippines by using American values and refused to join the Freedom of Navigation Operations of the United States.The reasons why the Duterte administration has adopted a policy of selective integration into the Indo-Pacific strategy of the United States is mainly due to the combination of obstacles and incentives.The Philippines and the United States lack a common understanding of China,and influenced by Duterte’s strong anti-Americanism,these hinders the Duterte government from fully integrating into the Indo-Pacific strategy of the United States.Meanwhile,the Philippines still has strong security needs for the United States,and its intention to use the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States to gain economic benefits,which motivates the Duterte administration to integrated into the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States.