Teodoro pushes back vs China 'propaganda spiels’: Trust needed for South China Sea talks

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MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro firmly dismissed what appeared to be Chinese propaganda at an international defense forum, stating that Beijing suffers from a "deficit of trust" in dialogues over the South China Sea dispute.

At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Teodoro received questions from Senior Colonels Zhang Chi and Qi Dapeng of China’s National Defense University. Zhang asked whether the Philippines was concerned about being drawn into a proxy war on behalf of the United States. Meanwhile, Qi questioned why the Philippines does not pursue effective dialogue with China over maritime disputes, as Vietnam and Malaysia reportedly do.

To which Teodoro responded, “Thank you for the propaganda spiels disguised as questions.” 

Addressing Qi’s question, Teodoro emphasized that the Philippines is a sovereign nation. He added that if the same actions were being taken against Malaysia, the Philippines would stand with its ally in solidarity.

“As members of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), we are all committed to support it,” Teodoro said. 

Teodoro also addressed Zhang’s question without hesitation, criticizing its framing as misleading. He cited the example of Mischief Reef, pointing out that what was initially presented by China in 1995 as a simple rest stop for fishermen has since been transformed into a fortified artificial island.

“China says that it has peaceful intentions. But why does it continue to deny the Philippines its rightful provenance under international law and UNCLOS?” Teodoro asked. 

Teodoro said that no country stood with China over its nine-dash line claim that took most of the South China Sea for itself. 

“For dialogue to be effective, it must be coupled with trust. And China has a lot of trust-building to do to be an effective negotiating partner in dispute settlement. We have to call a spade a spade. And that's what we see, and that is the biggest stumbling block to dispute resolution or dialogue with China, that deficit of trust,” Teodoro said. 

The Philippines has been at the forefront of resisting China’s encroachment in the West Philippine Sea. Filipino vessels have faced multiple aggressive actions from the Chinese Coast Guard, including water cannon blasts and laser targeting.