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Trump invites Duterte to Washington in 'friendly' call —White House


US President Donald Trump invited President Rodrigo Duterte to Washington in a "friendly" call on Saturday night, in which the leaders discussed the "threat" of North Korea, the White House said.

"It was a very friendly conversation, in which the two leaders discussed the concerns of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regarding regional security, including the threat posed by North Korea," the statement said.

The leaders also "discussed the fact that the Philippine government is fighting very hard to rid its country of drugs, a scourge that affects many countries throughout the world."

"President Trump also invited President Duterte to the White House to discuss the importance of the United States-Philippines alliance, which is now heading in a very positive direction," the statement said.

In a press conference after the 30th ASEAN Summit, Duterte revealed the scheduled call from Trump.

He said he would urge the US leader to exercise restraint and to not play into the hands of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"I will just communicate to (Trump), just let him play with his, do not play into his hands," he said.

"The guy (Kim) simply wants to end the world, that is why he is very happy. He is always smiling. But he really wants to finish everything."

North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile from an area north of Pyongyang as the ASEAN leader attend the summit in Manila. Reports said the test failed. —Agence France-Presse

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