REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has attracted international criticism for the bloodshed driven by the war on drugs he launched when he took office nearly four months ago. And he has caused more worry in Washington, DC, through his repudiation of ties with the US and seeming embrace of China — a move that has stirred concern among the Philippines' neighbors in the region and among US policymakers as they try to respond to China's growing influence and assertiveness in the South China Sea. However, Duterte's initiatives — a brutal crackdown on the drug trade and an opening to Beijing — may come in conflict with each other if the Chinese role in the Philippines' drug scene becomes a sticking point. Duterte has referred to the connection between China and drugs in the Philippines since mid-summer.