Philippines' Duterte wants US troops out in two years

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has announced that he wants US troops out of his country in the next two years and is willing to scrap defence pacts with longtime ally Washington if necessary.

"I want, maybe in the next two years, my country free of the presence of foreign military troops," Duterte told an economic forum in Tokyo on Wednesday, in a clear reference to US forces, ahead of a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Duterte's remarks on Wednesday during a high-profile visit to Japan follow a series of anti-American tirades by the firebrand leader.