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Article snippet: MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte of the invitation to visit the White House, because he was “tied up” with a busy schedule. “I cannot make any definite promise,” Mr. Duterte said, adding, “I’m supposed to go to Russia; I’m also supposed to go to Israel.” Mr. Trump’s invitation on Saturday to Mr. Duterte, an authoritarian leader who has been accused of ordering extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, drew criticism from human rights advocates, who said such a visit would amount to a White House endorsement of Mr. Duterte’s policies. Thousands of people have been gunned down in the Philippines since Mr. Duterte took office in June, promising a crackdown on narcotics. White House officials said Mr. Trump had called Mr. Duterte in an effort to mend their countries’ recently strained relationship, as a bulwark against China’s expansionism in the South China Sea. Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, said Mr. Trump also wanted to build a united front in Asia in opposition to North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear and missile technology. Mr. Duterte said his conversation with Mr. Trump had been amicable, and that he had urged the American leader to tread carefully with North Korea. “Our greatest chance there of getting some dialogue with America and North Korea would be through the intercession of China,” he said. The Philippines and China have longstanding territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but Mr. Duterte has moved toward Beijing and away from Washing... Link to the full article to read more