Picture imperfect: did Xi and Duterte agree to a ‘Blood Compact’ in Manila?

When Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte posed for an official photograph with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the ceremonial hall of Malacanang Palace on Tuesday, their choice of a backdrop could hardly have been less auspicious.
The leaders, who witnessed the signing of 29 bilateral agreements during Xi’s two-day official visit to Manila were pictured in front of El Pacto de Sangre – or The Blood Compact – a 19th-century painting by internationally known artist Juan…