Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said he is open to restoring military-to-military communications with China provided it ceases its predatory activities and behaves properly in the West Philippine Sea and Pacific region.
During an online press briefing, Teodoro defended his decision shortly after assuming office as defense secretary in July 2023 to cut military-to-military ties, stating that China had abused those relations and compromised Philippine national security.
“Firstly, they must prove sincerity,” Teodoro said when asked what conditions China must meet for military-to-military relations to be restored.
Teodoro said China must walk back its assertion of undisputed sovereignty and jurisdiction over areas in the West Philippine Sea, noting that such claims lack basis in international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“Thirdly, they must stop their predatory activities in the Pacific and in the West Philippines which is a threat to regional and global security. It is obviously a threat to regional security and several countries have voice concerned about this,” Teodoro also said.
Teodoro stated that China should behave properly and refrain from claiming territories that do not belong to it. China claims the majority of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, through its expansive nine-dash line claim.
“Even ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) does not accept their nine-dash line…That nine-dash line is the biggest fiction and the biggest lie being thrown at us by China. To me that is the bottom line,” Teodoro added.
Teodoro maintained that military-to-military communications will remain suspended, emphasizing that China’s position directly opposes the Philippine sovereignty that the Armed Forces is sworn to defend.
“I think that’s logical because first and foremost, what we are doing in the Armed Forces is to uphold the Arbitral Award is the nine-dash line is a fiction,” Teodoro said.
“If they are going to say it’s for de-escalation. We will not escalate, they are escalating with a false narrative,” Teodoro also said, addressing China’s assertion that features in the West Philippine Sea fall within Chinese territory.
Teodoro stated that his decision made three years ago rests on 100 percent legal and moral footing.
“I’ve seen that they are not sincere partners on a military level,” Teodoro added, confirming the policy remains in effect and that he remains convinced it is the right course of action.
The issue resurfaced after the Chinese Embassy in Manila claimed that Teodoro’s decision placed frontline personnel closer to potential confrontation, arguing that communication channels must stay open to prevent miscalculations and manage tensions regardless of bilateral difficulties.
Teodoro countered that the Philippines has no intention of provoking conflict in the West Philippine Sea.
“The troublemaker here is China. It’s very clear and I can’t accept any other narrative there. Obviously, nobody can say that the Philippines is the troublemaker because first of all we are smaller country, we are just fighting for the future of our country,” Teodoro said.
“China is the troublemaker because as far as South Pacific, they are interfering, they are even dropping missiles. Then I think China’s track record in reliability and stability in good relations is questionable,” Teodoro also said.
Teodoro also asserted that the Philippines will resist any attempt by China to expand its presence into Batanes, which the Chinese embassy claimed as Chinese territory.
“We will prevent it to our utmost ability, we will prevent it,” Teodoro said.
Teodoro noted that the area constitutes an international strategic waterway that warrants global concern.