China is making a big comeback in important sectors in the Philippines including telecommunications and railway, following a series of deals that went wrong, thanks to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Beijing-friendly foreign policy, Nikkei Asian Review reports. Beijing and Manila have also agreed to a joint oil and gas exploration deal, according to the South China Morning Post – one of 29 deals that were signed on Tuesday as Chinese President Xi Jinping began a two-day state visit to the Philippines. The Philippines’ relationship with China — even given the territorial disputes — could still be a fruitful one, economically. One question, however, is whether this approach has necessarily yielded more economic benefits for the country, writes Ronald U. Mendoza and Miann S. Banaag for The Diplomat.