Manila Warms to China, Cools to U.S.

While former United States president Bill Clinton urged the Philippines to maintain strong bilateral military ties with Washington, China was simultaneously forwarding its own brand of military diplomacy. A day after Clinton's whirlwind speaking tour in Manila on November 10, China's ambassador Liu Jianchao and senior Philippine defense officials toasted a "new era" for the military relationship.

The occasion: the handing over of big-ticket heavy construction equipment from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The donation, meant to boost the building of farm-to-market roads, bridges and public schools, was viewed by officials as a sign of China's goodwill and understanding towards Philippine forces.