Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has questioned the consistency of China’s position on international law, particularly regarding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), amid continuing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Teodoro raised the issue after Beijing expressed support for UNCLOS and the peaceful resolution of disputes during the recently concluded ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu.
However, he pointed out that China continues to reject the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its expansive claims in the West Philippine Sea, despite the decision having been issued under mechanisms established by UNCLOS.
The defense chief also rejected China’s allegation that the Philippines deliberately obstructed its participation in the regional meeting or mishandled the invitation process.
Teodoro said no ASEAN member state had directly raised any complaint to him regarding the matter.
He added that if China has concerns, it should address them through ASEAN member countries.
Despite the disagreement, Teodoro described the ADMM-Plus meeting as successful and said it produced meaningful progress in defense cooperation among ASEAN nations and their dialogue partners.
Among the developments discussed was the inaugural ASEAN interoperability exercise, Trident Sword, which focuses on humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.
Teodoro also highlighted the first joint cooperative activity held in Subic under the maritime security working group between the Philippines and Japan, describing it as another step toward stronger regional defense collaboration.
The statements come as the Philippines continues to strengthen partnerships and promote rules-based maritime governance in the West Philippine Sea.