Latest news with #GilbertoTeodoro
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
US Ally Sends Strong Warning to China
China's efforts to expand its sphere of influence in its own region and beyond are part of its "political DNA" and a growing number of countries are coalescing against it, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told Newsweek in an interview. Following a tense exchange with Chinese officials at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's premier defense summit, Teodoro called Beijing "the cause of instability". Newsweek contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email with a request for comment. Teodoro's comments reflect the toughening stance by the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over China's claims in its exclusive economic zone. China claims up to 90 percent of the South China Sea as its territory, citing what it calls historical rights within its self-declared nine-dash line-a boundary that overlaps with the maritime claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and self-ruling Taiwan. Footage released by the Philippines has shown the Chinese coast guard using ramming maneuvers and water cannon attacks that Manila said left Philippine servicemen injured. A Hague-based arbitral tribunal dismissed China's dashed-line claims in a 2016 decision Beijing rejected as invalid. Beijing's agenda is rooted in its leadership structure, Teodoro told Newsweek on Sunday. "That is to extend the sphere of influence of dynastic politics of whatever nature, and it is within their DNA to be that-their political DNA." "The impression of other countries is that of weariness, caution, and not comfort. Even those who engage with them fully do not fully trust China." Still, China remains a major trade partner for some 150 countries, according to Beijing's customs administration-and for most of Southeast Asia-a fact Teodoro acknowledged has likely muted some nations' responses. "But this has got to stop somewhere. And the countries that are standing up are coalescing against China," he said. "And if they [China] do not notice this [...] and spin the narrative as it being to contain their rightful place, then they're just fooling themselves." He expects "more of the same" from Beijing. The Philippines is therefore working to form an international coalition to increase deterrence, he added, likening this to erecting "a strong fence." China's actions in the South China Sea have also been met with strong protests from Washington and several Asian-Pacific and European nations. Adding to tensions are alleged espionage operations near military installations, mass cyberattack campaigns, and unsafe military encounters reported by U.S. allies in international waters. Deterrence of China would take two forms, Teodoro said: "building up capability resilience" and fostering "international resonance that will condemn their activities." During his remarks in a Shangri-La panel on Sunday, Teodoro was challenged by two senior Chinese colonels, who asked whether the Philippines would engage with China on friendly terms or choose to play the part of a U.S. proxy. Teodoro thanked the officials for "propaganda spiels disguised as questions," a barb that drew applause from attendees. He said the "deficit of trust" in China remains the largest obstacle to a solution in the South China Sea, adding that a nation that "represses its own people" is not to be trusted. A breakthrough in the South China Sea dispute remains unlikely, with both China and the Philippines firmly entrenched. The fact that the Philippines is a U.S. treaty ally makes it a potential flashpoint for global conflict at a time of tension between Washington and Beijing on numerous fronts. Related Articles Map Tracks Chinese Aircraft Carrier Near US AlliesChina Says US Violated Trade Truce With Three MovesUS Announces 'Game Changer' Missile Upgrade to Rival ChinaMap Shows China's Arms Sales Footprint Around the World 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
China ‘has a lot of trust building to do' in South China Sea, Philippines says
The Philippines ' defence chief has called on Beijing to engage in good-faith negotiations over the South China Sea, stressing that China still has a long way to go to earn Manila's trust. Observers warn that trust goes both ways, however, pointing to factors such as growing cooperation between Manila and Washington, and the reduced Chinese presence at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend. At the security summit, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr rebuked a Chinese delegate who raised the issue of South China Sea tensions. Senior Colonel Chi Zhang, had asked Teodoro whether Manila was concerned about a proxy war in Asia, citing the United States increasing arms sales to the region and establishing more military bases in the Philippines. 'Thank you for the propaganda spiels disguised as questions,' Teodoro said in response. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr delivers a speech at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE He then gave an example that he said proved China's word could not be trusted.
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
Philippines to set up security, defense dialogue with EU
Manila: The Philippines and the EU agreed on Monday to start a security and defense dialogue to address cyberattacks and foreign interference. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo made the announcement with the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, during her visit to Manila. 'Our relationship reaches another significant milestone with our decision to create a security and defense dialogue. This dialogue will provide a mechanism for the Philippines and the European Union to discuss security and defense-related issues with both depth and regularity,' Manalo said during a joint press conference with Kallas. 'We hope that through the security and defense dialogue we will remain proactive and united in addressing emerging security threats and challenges that transcend borders — cyberattacks and foreign interference and manipulation of information to name a few.' Kallas said the dialogue would address the 'current geopolitical challenges and will foster exchanges and cooperation in security and defense areas, including maritime security.' The Philippines advanced its defense ties with key EU partners over the weekend at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro held a series of bilaterals on the sidelines of the event with his French, Swedish and Lithuanian counterparts. The new dialogue is part of a partnership and cooperation agreement between the Philippines and the EU which came into effect in 2018. The inaugural meeting is set to take place in the last quarter of 2025. The Philippines' top diplomat and the EU's foreign policy chief also committed to advancing talks on a free trade agreement. 'Noting the firm commitment of both sides in advancing negotiations, I expressed the Philippines' hope for the continued support of the EU and its member states toward the early conclusion of negotiations of a comprehensive, balanced, and modern FTA,' Manalo said. EU and Philippine representatives completed FTA negotiation rounds in October last year and February this year, with the next round expected to take place in Brussels in June.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Philippines defense boss throws cold water on large F-16 buy from US
SINGAPORE — The Philippines' defense secretary cast doubt on a $5.6 billion purchase of American F-16 fighter jets approved in April, saying Manila hasn't yet decided whether to move forward with the sale. Speaking on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a defense summit held in Singapore, Gilberto Teodoro said the Philippines hadn't yet received a formal offer to purchase the fourth-generation fighters. Even if it had, he said, his department doesn't know whether it wants them. 'As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing on the table for me to consider,' he said in an interview. In April, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of 20 F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, as part of a package that also included missiles, bombs and other ammunition. The total was valued at just under $5.6 billion, which would have commanded a massive share of the Philippines' defense budget. Manila spends about $6 billion, or 1.3% of its GDP, on its military each year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a think tank. Teodoro referred to the purported sale as 'media hype,' without explaining why the State Department initially approved it. 'We have not even decided, number one, when we will acquire a multi-role fighter and what model,' he said. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Philippines in March as the U.S. upgrades its alliance with the country in an effort to better compete with China. The two met again over the weekend in Singapore, where Hegseth warned that the military threat Beijing poses 'could be imminent' and urged allies to spend more on defense. To some Philippine officials, the sale of fighter jets was a sign of long-term U.S. commitment and a show of trust that their military could handle such advanced equipment. But soon after the announcement other officials from the country began to question how they could afford such a large purchase without American assistance. The U.S. sent the Philippines $500 million in long-term security aid last year but would need Congress to pass more in order to continue such support. During the Biden administration, the U.S. and Philippines agreed on a 'roadmap' of weapons to purchase in the years ahead as Manila upgrades its military. That plan largely consists of equipment to help survey and protect the Philippines' vast coastlines, not high-end fighter jets. At the conference here, Teodoro had a testy exchange with Chinese delegates in attendance, who asked critical questions about the Philippines' alliance with the United States. Chinese coast guard vessels routinely harass Philippine ships in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims as its own despite a contrary ruling in 2016 from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 'China has a lot of trust building to do to be an effective negotiating partner,' Teodoro said during remarks on stage. 'We have to call a spade a spade.'
CNA
a day ago
- General
- CNA
Shangri-La Dialogue: China hits back at South China Sea comments by Philippines' defence chief
05:05 Min China has hit back at comments by the Philippines' Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr, stressing that the country has "a full historical and legal basis" to uphold territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea. The Chinese embassy in Singapore reiterated its stance in three Facebook posts, saying that Beijing has been exercising a high degree of restraint in the disputed territory. These came as tensions played out with heated words by both sides on Sunday (Jun 1) at the Shangri-La Dialogue. CNA's Olivia Siong reports.
