Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte sought to reassure neighbors and allies Wednesday after his apparent cozying-up to China.He insisted that his state visit to Beijing a week ago was focused on trade, not security and also warned that he would not be a ‘doormat’ for the international community. In a speech to business leaders Philippines Economic Forum in Tokyo during an an official visit to Japan, he said: ‘You know, I went to China for a visit, and I would like to assure you that all there was, was economics. We did not talk about arms, we did not talk about stationing of troops... We avoided talking about alliances, military or otherwise. What happened there was just a few platforms where investments could come in.’He said that the country was ‘mandated’ by its constitution ‘to adopt an independent foreign policy.’During the speech, which began by praising Japanese-Filipino bilateral ties, he quickly pivoted to oft-visited topics, including his support for his country’s bloody war on drugs and his perceived victimization by the international community. ‘If you chastise me, reprimand me before the international crowd and you say: ‘Mr. Duterte, you stop the killings there... stop it because we will withhold aid and assistance to your country’ - it’s like saying, ‘I am a dog on a leash, and if you do not stop biting the criminals, we will not throw the bread right under your mouth, we will throw it further so you’ll have to struggle to get it.’‘That’s what America wants me to be, a dog barking for the crumbs of their favor.’Source: CNN