Photo courtesy: Global Times
MANILA, Philippines — China has called on the Philippines to stop actions it says are damaging bilateral ties and stability in the South China Sea after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. publicly criticized a handwritten note from a Chinese representative during a defense forum in Seoul.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged “certain individuals” in the Philippines to stop “grandstanding and stirring up trouble” following Teodoro’s remarks at the Seoul Defense Dialogue on September 8.
“We urge certain individuals in the Philippines to stop grandstanding and stirring up trouble, and to stop undermining China-Philippines relations and stability in the South China Sea,” Mao said on September 9.
The exchange began while Teodoro was participating in a panel discussion on maritime security and the South China Sea.
A forum staff member approached the Philippine defense chief on stage and handed him a handwritten note. South Korean news agency Yonhap later reported that the message came from a military attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, who had asked forum staff to deliver it to Teodoro.
Teodoro read portions of the note aloud.
It reiterated Beijing’s longstanding rejection of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling, stating that China considered the decision “illegal, null and void” and would not recognize claims or actions arising from it.
Teodoro pushed back immediately, arguing that the manner in which the message was delivered showed disrespect not only for international law but also for South Korea as host of the forum and the delegates in attendance.
He described the incident as an example of “coercion, bullying and aggression” and said he would keep the handwritten note as a reminder of what he called China’s desperation over its position.
The 2016 arbitral tribunal rejected the legal basis for China’s sweeping historic-rights claims within its so-called nine-dash line and upheld key aspects of the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
China has consistently rejected the ruling and maintains that maritime disputes should be addressed through dialogue and negotiations between the countries concerned.
The Philippines, meanwhile, continues to regard the arbitral award as final and binding and has repeatedly invoked it in asserting its maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.
The latest exchange adds to continuing tensions between Manila and Beijing over competing claims and increasingly frequent confrontations in the South China Sea.