White House says Trump has 'warm rapport' with Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — US President Donald Trump is "very much looking forward" to his first in-person meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte this month, the White House said.

Trump will arrive in Manila on November 12 to attend the gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN. He will also participate in the 40th anniversary of US-ASEAN relations on November 13.

The US leader is also scheduled to participate in bilateral meetings with Duterte and other leaders before going back to Washington.

"President Duterte, he's spoken with, they've had exchanges of letters. I think there's a warm rapport there," a White House senior administration official said in a briefing on Tuesday.

The White House official said that Trump will have "frank and friendly" discussions in his first meeting with Duterte in Manila.

READ: Trump to raise human rights with Duterte at ASEAN summit

"The amount of cooperation that's taking place below the leader level and made possible by our longstanding relationship and alliance with the Philippines is still very robust. And that expands to areas like counterterror, all of the close people-to-people ties between the country, and human rights as well," the White House official said.

The White House noted that Trump is "quite well prepared and engaged" for his Asia trip as his bilateral meetings in the region would be a continuation of conversations he already had.

Trump has made 43 phone calls to Indo-Pacific leaders and hosted bilateral meetings with leaders from Japan, South Korea, China, India, Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

The US president's participation in ASEAN events will advance US leadership in promoting Indo-Pacific trade and security architecture based on freedom, openness and adherence to rule of law, the White House said.

RELATED: Rights groups slam Trump's 'warm rapport' with Duterte

East Asia Summit

The White House also clarified that it would not be accurate to say that Trump will not be present for the launch of the East Asia Summit (EAS).

"The President is going to be attending a gala dinner on the night of the 12th, celebrating ASEAN's 50th anniversary, its 40th anniversary of ties with the United States, and also the EAS as well," the White House said.

The morning of November 13 would be a formal launch ceremony where the US president with all of the leaders of the summits, including the EAS, which would also be its formal launch.

"So I don't think it's accurate to say he's not going to be there. The meeting that happens on the 14th, the United States will be well represented at that meeting. But that meeting does not account for the entirety of the EAS," the senior official said.

Trump's trip, which would kick off on November 5 in Japan, would be the longest trip to Asia by any US president in the last 25 years, since former President George H.W. Bush in December 1991.

His stops in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines underscore his "extensive diplomatic engagement with countries from the Indo-Pacific region."

Trump, however, would have to skip the EAS as he has to "come back to work."

"Again, this is the longest trip of his presidency, the longest trip in more than a quarter of a century to Asia. We can't have him away from Washington forever," the White House said.

READ: Trump to meet Duterte, but will skip major meeting