He also said that he would seek public support for a tougher stance over the Korea Peninsula issue

The survey released on Sept 21 bore a title saying people in the Philippines still favor the United States over China, but that the gap is narrowingA quarter now name China as the world's leading economy, up from 14 percent the last time the Philippines was surveyed

Such an independent policy is dealing a heavy blow to those who still view the relationship between the three countries as zero-sumAnd despite the Philippines being the most pro-Trump nation in Pew's spring 37-country survey, confidence in Trump now is lower than it was in then-President Barack Obama in 2015The US was believed to be fully behind the scenes when the Philippines, under President Benigno Aquino III, filed the arbitration suit in 2013 against China in a tribunal in The Hague, a case in which China had refused to participate

His tough rhetoric on the US and softened rhetoric on China, especially compared with his predecessor Aquino III, has worried many in the USThe Obama administration had done everything it could to internationalize the South China Sea issue and had used the Philippines, a US ally, to advance the American strategy

The negotiations may take days or weeks before a deal is struck between the future governing partners

Winston Peters, the party chief of the New Zealand First Party, however, refused to say which party he would side withMeetings are planned for the delegation with Chinese government officials, industry partners and Branstad in Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an, Shaanxi province

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is leading a trade mission to China that will feature officials from groups representing the state's major agricultural producersReynolds, who succeeded Terry Branstad as governor when he became the US ambassador to China on May 22, noted that agricultural "is the backbone of Iowa's economy and contributes about $112 billion to our economy annually"

"Relationships are especially important in China, and we are fortunate that Governor Branstad welcomed a then local agricultural official from China over 30 years ago into Iowa named Xi Jinping, who is now the nation's president," said ReynoldsLast year, nearly $6 billion worth of US pork was exported to China, including more than $1 billion from Iowa