Duterte's foreign policy confusion

President Rodrigo Duterte has ushered in a new chapter in Philippine foreign policy: one lacking in continuity, coherence and direction. Previously acrimonious relations with China have drastically improved and creative solutions are now being found to disputes in the South China Sea. At the same time, Duterte's fiercely critical rhetoric toward the United States has placed the country's longstanding security alliance in question. These events herald an uncertain time for the Philippines and for Southeast Asia.