美国与菲律宾关系有好转迹象

Relations between the United States and one of its oldest allies, the Philippines, show signs of returning to normal after a crisis in September when the president in Manila demanded Washington withdraw military support and talked of a deeper break in ties with the Western superpower.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump congratulated Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in a call this month on his deadly campaign to squelch the drug trade. The government of U.S. President Barack Obama had angered Duterte, who took office in June, by criticizing the effort due to suspected extrajudicial killings.

Trump also invited Duterte to visit the White House, part of a chain of overtures to traditional U.S. allies in Asia, including Japan.

In September, Duterte called Obama a dirty name, suggested scaling back economic ties and demanded that U.S. military personnel leave the country.

Manila has been one of Washington's chief Asian allies since the two sides signed a mutual defense treaty in 1951.