Duterte’s Chinese adviser: proof of Beijing’s pull on Philippines?
- Michael Yang’s newly confirmed role in government is now under increased scrutiny with some of President Duterte’s critics demanding an inquiry
- Yang operated businesses, including a shopping centre, in Davao City, where Duterte served as mayor for multiple terms across three decades
The emergence this year of a Chinese businessman within President Rodrigo Duterte’s inner circle has been a source of intrigue in the Philippines, where an opposition lawmaker has called for an investigation into the “nature and scope of his influence”.
The entrepreneur in question is Michael Yang, the owner of shopping malls in Davao City, whose close ties to the Chinese community – and long, unexplained relationship with Duterte – appear to have landed him a post as an adviser inside Malacanang Palace.
Yang’s newly confirmed role in government is now under increased scrutiny as Manila draws ever closer to Beijing, and with President Xi Jinping arriving on Tuesday for the first state visit by a Chinese head of state since 2005.
The government, for its part, has downplayed Yang’s presence, even dismissing the public outrage that erupted when papers purportedly appointing him as a presidential adviser were released online.
But contracts obtained last month by the Rappler news website, which allegedly showed Yang has been working for the president since January, prompted an official admission.
