The Philippines’ defense chief, Gilberto Teodoro, condemned China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea on Monday, calling them “the biggest fiction and lie” and emphasizing that no Southeast Asian nation would accept them. Teodoro’s remarks came amid increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region and concerns over President Xi Jinping’s policies, which he argued have undermined the international goodwill cultivated by China’s previous leaders.
Teodoro’s statements followed reports from the Philippine coastguard regarding new incidents involving Chinese forces at the Scarborough Shoal, a highly contested fishing atoll. According to Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Chinese military helicopter was seen tailing a Philippine lightplane during a routine patrol over the shoal. Additionally, Chinese forces had installed a floating barrier to block Filipino fishermen from accessing a lagoon in the area.
While Chinese officials had yet to respond to these incidents, they have previously claimed sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal and the majority of the South China Sea, asserting historical rights dating back centuries.
In 2016, an international arbitration panel ruled against China’s territorial claims based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a decision that China continues to reject. The Philippines had initiated the arbitration, but Beijing refused to participate and has ignored the ruling.
Teodoro, speaking during the anniversary of the Philippine military’s Western Command in Palawan province, underscored the need for a “stronger national defense posture” and continued collaboration with allied nations to counter China’s actions in the South China Sea, a critical global trade route.
“No ASEAN country accepts the legitimacy of that 10-dash line, because that is the biggest fiction and lie that can be sold to any right-thinking person,” Teodoro said. His remarks were directed at the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has been negotiating a “code of conduct” with China to ease territorial tensions in the region.
The Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, has been embroiled in ongoing territorial disputes with China, which claims most of the South China Sea, demarcated by a series of 10 dashes on Chinese maps.
Teodoro also criticized Xi Jinping’s leadership, describing him as leading a “small dictatorship and autocracy,” and holding him responsible for the aggressive and unlawful policies of China. He argued that Xi’s actions could jeopardize both his leadership within the Communist Party and the international goodwill fostered by his predecessors.
In response to China’s growing assertiveness, the Philippines has worked to strengthen security alliances. Teodoro announced that the Philippines would sign a visiting forces agreement with New Zealand next month, allowing their military forces to conduct joint exercises in each other’s territories. Negotiations for a similar agreement with Canada were near completion, he added, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had authorized talks for a similar pact with France.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Teodoro in Manila on Friday, with discussions expected to focus on concerns over China’s actions in the contested waters and strengthening the US-Philippines treaty alliance, according to Philippine officials.
