Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has stressed the need for reaching out to the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Duterte also said he would welcome Donald Trump as an "important leader" in his Manila trip next month.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Str/N. Celis
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Rodrigo Duterte said Sunday that China, Japan, South Korea and the United States should consider sending an envoy to North Korea to avoid a nuclear war, which the Philippine president said would be "totally unacceptable."
"All world leaders agree that he [Kim Jong Un] is a dangerous man," Duterte told a press conference before leaving for a two-day visit to Japan. "But somebody has to talk to him."
"Somebody has to go there. Someone has to reach out and talk to him and say something like, friend, why don't you just join me at the table and talk about these things," Duterte added.
The Philippine president, who is notorious for his short temper and abusive language against his critics, had previously described Kim as a "fool" and "son of a bitch" for "playing with dangerous toys."
"We are worried. If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. A nuclear war is totally unacceptable to everybody," Duterte stressed, saying the international community needed to assure Kim that "nobody's threatening him."
He said he planned to discuss the North Korean crisis on Monday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who discussed North Korea with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Tokyo.
Stoltenberg called North Korea a "global threat" and said he backed tighter sanctions against it.
South Korea and China's nuclear envoys are also due to meet on Tuesday to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Meeting with Trump
About his meeting with US President Donald Trump next month, Duterte said he would meet him "in the most righteous way."
Trump will travel to Asia on November 3 amid escalating tensions over North Korea's belligerence in the region. He will be in Manila on the last leg of his visit, which includes trips to China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. Trump will also attend the ASEAN leaders' summit.
"I would deal with President Trump in the most righteous way, welcome him as an important leader," Duterte said. "I would also listen to him, what he has to say."
Under Duterte's presidency, Manila has drifted closer to Beijing, with the Philippine government announcing a "separation" from Washington last year.
Former US President Barack Obama's criticism of Duterte's brutal war on drugs had also infuriated the Philippine strongman.
Philippine strongman Rodrigo Duterte completes one year in power
One year ago, Rodrigo Duterte became the Philippine president, vowing to crackdown on organized crime, drug cartels and improve the country's economy. But his presidency has been shrouded in numerous controversies.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/F.-R. Malasig
An outsider
Rodrigo Duterte's rise in Philippine politics began in the spring of 2016. He was considered an outsider in the presidential election but he gradually gained popularity due to a radical election campaign that promised to free the Philippines from drugs and corruption.
Image: Reuters/E. Acayan
Landslide victory
On May 9, 2016, Duterte was elected to the presidency with almost 40 percent of the total votes and a big lead over other candidates. As mayor of Davao, he had transformed the southern city from a mafia-run place into an economically prosperous area. However, human rights activists accuse him of using death squads and brutal force to achieve this goal.
Image: Reuters/E. De Castro/Detail
A short-tempered president
Duterte is known for his sort temper. After coming to power, he threatened to break ties with the EU, the US and Australia. He also publicly insulted foreign leaders like Barack Obama because the former US president labeled Duterte's drug war as inhuman. Duterte also announced that his government would scale down dependence on the US and get closer to China and Russia.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/N. Shrestha/M. Irham
A victory over China
In July 2016, the Philippines won a lawsuit against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that rejected Beijing's territorial claims on the South China Sea. China refused to accept the court's ruling. Manila nevertheless celebrated it as a victory but remained cautious in its approach toward China due to its economic interests with Beijing.
Image: Permanent Court of Arbitration
Drug killings
Leila de Lima, a senator and former director of the Philippine Human Rights Commission, has emerged as Duterte's most powerful opponent during his one year in power. She is leading a senate probe into extra-judicial killings in Duterte's war on drugs.
Image: Reuters/E. De Castro
Honoring a 'dictator'
One of Duterte's most controversial decisions during his one year in power was to allow the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos' body to be buried in Manila. Marcos had been denied this honor due to massive human rights violations during his reign. Human rights activists and church representatives held demonstrations against Marcos' "hero's burial."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D.M. Sabangan
Fighting 'Islamic State'
In May, militant groups affiliated with the self-styled "Islamic State" (IS) group took control of the southern city of Marawi. Duterte declared Martial Law in Mindanao province and his forces have been trying to recapture the city for weeks. More than 200 people have been killed in the fighting and thousands have fled the town.
