Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro admonished China on Tuesday after being handed a note outlining Beijing's position on the South China Sea during his remarks at the Seoul Defense Dialogue in South Korea. Teodoro stated the interruption constituted "coercion, bullying and aggression."
While speaking, a man approached the stage and placed a document on the table beside Teodoro. Identifying it as a note likely from China, Teodoro paused his address to read its contents aloud to the audience. The note asserted that China's position on the South China Sea arbitration is clear and consistent, and that the arbitration violates international law.
The arbitration likely refers to the 2016 ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which determined China's unlawful land reclamation in Philippine territorial waters. China has consistently rejected this ruling and accuses the Philippines of infringing on its sovereignty.
Teodoro questioned the appropriateness of the action within an international forum and its disrespect to the event organizers and attendees. "Is this the right paper to post to me when I'm being asked a question on the floor? And how will you treat this kind of behavior?" he asked.
He added that the incident not only disrespects international law by disregarding UNCLOS but also shows a lack of basic decency towards the hosts and the audience. "This is actual coercion, bullying and aggression," Teodoro declared. He kept the paper as a "memento of how desperate China is and how ineffective its position is in the face of a free audience."
Teodoro also addressed the ongoing challenges the Philippines faces from China, stating that Beijing attempts to occupy and illegally assert its presence over Philippine territory and its exclusive economic zone, in contravention of UNCLOS. He emphasized that no state has the right to appropriate an international common for exclusive use contrary to international norms, noting that the Philippines has been compelled to enter into "creative defense arrangements and alliances."
The incident occurred amidst ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, where both countries' navies have experienced standoffs. On March 24, 2025, Philippine Coast Guard ships were reportedly surrounded by Chinese vessels in a similar confrontation.