The tensions between the Philippines and China resurfaced at the closing of a two-day meeting of ASEAN defense ministers on Thursday, with Beijing accusing an unidentified Filipino politician of obstructing its participation and Manila stating that China had had the opportunity to present its position.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense stated that the “selfish” politician had “imposed obstacles to China’s participation” in the expanded meeting of the ASEAN defense ministers in Cebu, without identifying the person.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Zhang Xiaogang, said at a press briefing that the actions ran counter to the open and inclusive spirit of the meeting, violated diplomatic norms, and harmed China’s rights as a dialogue partner.
China was represented at the meeting by a military attaché, in the absence of Defense Minister Dong Jun, who was probably attending an important meeting of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing this week.
Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who chaired the meetings, did not directly address the Chinese obstruction allegation, but stated that Beijing had the opportunity to present its views and that no ASEAN member raised similar concerns.
“The important fact is that they were able to articulate their position on regional maritime security with few additions,” Teodoro said at his closing press conference. The Philippines said that its Department of Defense sent a notification to its Chinese counterpart with an invitation to participate in the forum.
“We allowed the exchange of views to be vigorous, and I think that was the most important thing: the opportunity for them to be heard,” Teodoro said.
Relations between Beijing and Manila deteriorated amid repeated confrontations in the disputed South China Sea and, more recently, Chinese sanctions imposed on Teodoro.
The exchange of views once again highlighted this increasingly tense relationship, after defense officials at the annual meeting emphasized practical cooperation and sought to find points of agreement despite differences over the South China Sea and other regional security issues.
The United States took advantage of the gathering to reaffirm its commitment to the region, with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promising on Wednesday that the United States would defend its interests and those of allies and partners, while also proposing greater defense cooperation with the bloc of 11 members.
China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea through a “nine-dash line” on its maps, which intrudes into parts of the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, and Indonesia. An international arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016 that China’s expansive claims have no basis in international law, a decision Beijing rejects.
During bilateral meetings with several counterparts, including those from other countries with claims in the South China Sea, Teodoro emphasized the importance of the 2016 ruling, arguing that its fundamental principles are part of international law and not an issue exclusive to the Philippines.
In conversations with Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the two expressed serious concerns about the scale and frequency of what they described as coercive activities by China in disputed waters.
Teodoro also defended his country’s growing network of defense partnerships and rejected suggestions that they would undermine regional stability, stating that the Philippines faced “unilateral and illegal claims by China over its maritime domain.”
“If other ASEAN countries were subjected to the same type of action on the scale that the Philippines is facing, I am sure they would resist it with all their might,” Teodoro said, reiterating the country’s commitment to peace and security.
