After winning the presidential election, Rodrigo Duterte's position on China appears to have been conciliatory and amicable, giving new hope to a better China-Philippines relationship.

ANBOUND’s research team, however, is of the view that in relation to the South China Sea issue, China should take the reality into consideration, instead of putting high hope on Rodrigo Duterte, the president-elect of the Philippines

In fact, if China place high hopes on Duterte’s presidency, this will backfire and provide Duterte with leverage, as put by Chan Kung, ANBOUND’s chief researcher, the Philippines will be 'borrowing the guns from the US while spending the money from China’.