杜特爾特明年將訪問俄羅斯

The Philippines plans to forge new ties and trade deals with Russia, in the latest blow to US strategic supremacy in the archipelago at the heart of Asia’s disputed seas.

菲律賓計劃與俄羅斯建立新的關係並達成貿易協議，此舉對美國在菲的戰略霸權構成了最新的打擊。菲律賓是一個羣島國家，位於亞洲爭議海域的核心地帶。

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to visit Moscow early next year — at Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invitation — to hold talks on a range of agreements from weapons to communications, Perfecto Yasay Jr, the Philippine foreign minister, said. It is the next phase of a foreign policy tilt that has already seen Manila clash with Washington and draw closer to Beijing.

菲律賓外長小佩費克託.亞賽(Perfecto Yasay Jr.)表示，預計菲總統羅德里戈.杜特爾特(Rodrigo Duterte)將應俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾.普京(Vladimir Putin)邀請於明年初訪問莫斯科，雙方將就從武器到通信的一系列協議舉行會談。菲律賓的外交政策轉向由此進入新的階段。此前，菲已與華盛頓方面發生衝突並向北京方面靠攏。

Manila wants to keep its 1951 security treaty and wider relations with the US, according to Mr Yasay. But Mr Duterte’s six-month-old government is also seeking closer ties with Russia under its “independent foreign policy” — and might find those even easier to build if Donald Trump’s incoming US administration eases hostilities with the Kremlin.

亞賽表示，菲方希望維繫1951年菲與美國簽署的安全條約以及與美國的更廣泛關係。但杜特爾特領導的、已執政6個月的政府還尋求依據其“獨立外交政策”與俄建立更緊密關係——如果唐納德.特朗普(Donald Trump)領導的美國新政府緩解美俄之間的敵意，那麼菲俄之間的這種關係可能會更加容易建立。

“Because of [our] special relationship with the United States we were not able to really pursue that kind of warm and mutually beneficial relationship with Russia,” said Mr Yasay, who has just visited Moscow to pave the way for Mr Duterte’s trip. “Now, it’s changing.”

亞賽表示：“由於（我們）與美國的特殊關係，我們過去其實無法尋求與俄建立那種友好互惠的關係。”剛剛訪問了莫斯科、意在爲杜特爾特俄羅斯之行鋪路的亞賽稱：“如今，情況正在發生變化。”

The presidential trip to Moscow will probably take place in April or May, Mr Yasay told the Financial Times in an interview. The Philippines wants to raise its exports of agricultural products and tap Russian investment and technology in areas such as mining, oil exploration and communications, possibly including surveillance, the minister said.

亞賽在接受英國《金融時報》採訪時表示，杜特爾特很可能會於明年4月或5月訪問莫斯科。他說，菲希望擴大其農產品出口，並尋求利用俄在礦業、石油勘探和通信（可能包括監控）等領域的投資和技術。

Manila, he said, was also exploring whether it could buy a batch of assault rifles from Moscow — 26,000 according to media reports — for its police force. A planned sale from the US was reportedly held up because of concerns about Mr Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.

他表示，菲方還在探索能否從俄採購一批突擊步槍——據媒體報道爲2.6萬支——配備菲警察部隊。據報道，由於美方對杜特爾特血腥的反毒戰爭感到擔憂，從美國採購槍支的計劃遭到擱置。

“A difficulty like this with the United States opens up opportunities with other countries,” Mr Yasay said, underscoring the Philippines’ diplomatic outreach under Mr Duterte. “Not only with Russia — with China, even with Israel, even with Japan. This is what we are exploring.”

亞賽針對菲在杜特爾特領導下的外交擴張強調道：“類似這種與美國之間的麻煩爲與其他國家加深關係創造了機會，不僅僅是與俄羅斯，還包括與中國，甚至與以色列和日本。我們正在探討這件事。”

Mr Yasay, who has known Mr Duterte since they shared YMCA accommodation together as law students, played down the idea that the Philippines would wave “bye-bye America”, as Mr Duterte recently put it. He said Manila had no plans to agree military treaties with any other country, adding that it would also like to strengthen its relationship with the US.

亞賽與杜特爾特早年學習法律時曾同住基督教青年會(YMCA)的一個寢室，二人就是在那時相識的。亞賽淡化了杜特爾特最近有關菲將與“美國分道揚鑣”的說法。他表示菲方不打算與任何其他國家達成軍事條約，並稱菲還希望加強與美國的關係。