War of words between China and Philippines over South China Sea claims
Teodoro said the note showed Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 ruling and called China’s conduct coercion, bullying and aggression.
- On Monday, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro warned that China could exploit recent cuts to U.S.-South Korean military exercises as an opportunity to reassert influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
- President Donald Trump ordered a "substantial reduction" in annual joint war games last month, prompting shortened drills that security analysts argue may undermine U.S. deterrence credibility in Asia.
- Teodoro noted that Washington provided "definite assurances" that U.S. commitments to the Philippines remain unchanged, with "no indication" the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty would be affected by South Korea changes.
- Manila is broadening security ties with Canada, New Zealand, France, and Britain, while Teodoro accused China of exploiting democratic systems to "expand its distortive narratives" alongside military pressure.
- Although seeking emerging defense technologies from South Korea, the Philippines' long-discussed submarine acquisition program remains "still under review" and is "some way off," according to Teodoro.
107 Articles
107 Articles
China's Attempt to Bully the Philippines Backfires at Summit
SEOUL, Korea – Dramatic scenes unfolded at a major defense summit in Seoul this week. The Philippines faced a blatant attempt by China to dictate the narrative on a global stage. However, the Southeast Asian nation was not willing to let the matter slide. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. publicly called out Beijing’s […] <p>The post China’s Attempt to Bully the Philippines Backfires at Summit first appeared on Chiang Rai Time…
During a speech at the Seoul Forum, the Philippine Defense Secretary received a note suspected to be from China. He immediately condemned the gesture as "coercion and bullying," and called it a blatant act of aggression that disregarded international law.
China-Philippine Feud over South China Sea Escalates
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro was in the middle of his remarks to a defense forum in South Korea on Tuesday when China tried to intimidate him by having a note hand-delivered to his seat on the stage.
At an international summit in Seoul on Tuesday, September 8, the Philippine Defense Minister replied with virulence and irony to elements of Chinese language on the South China Sea, partly claimed by Beijing, which had just been handed over to him.
Philippine Defense Chief Tells Beijing to ‘Have Some Decency, Have Some Shame’
Philippines' Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. delivers a speech during the fifth plenary session at the Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on June 1, 2025. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images)
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