MANILA -- China is making a big comeback in important sectors in the Philippines including telecommunications and railway, following a series of deals that went wrong, thanks to President Rodrigo Duterte's Beijing-friendly foreign policy.
Marking the first state visit to the Philippines by a Chinese leader in 13 years on Tuesday, President Xi Jinping brought with him billions of funding contracts and investment pledges, giving him a fresh diplomatic edge in the country at the expense of the U.S. amid intensifying competition for regional supremacy between the world's two biggest powers. Just last month, the U.S. said key trade issues with the Philippines had been resolved, paving the way for talks on free trade.
