Philippine Defense Secretary Slams China During Seoul Security Forum

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. sharply criticized China on Tuesday during the Seoul Defense Dialogue after receiving a note from the audience that defended Beijing's rejection of a 2016 international tribunal ruling. Teodoro was speaking on a panel about maritime challenges and the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) when a staff member delivered the note. The note asserted that the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, which invalidated China's nine dash line claims and reaffirmed the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone, was illegal, null, and void. Teodoro read the note aloud and responded to the claim that the ruling had no binding force by stating, "Of course, because you lost." He further described China's actions as coercion, bullying, and aggression, while accusing Beijing of a lack of basic decency. One source reports that forum organizers identified the note as coming from a Chinese military attache at the embassy in Seoul, though another source noted that the Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Teodoro concluded his response with a jab at the person who delivered the note, saying, "I hope you don't suffer in a gulag for it." The Seoul Defense Dialogue is an annual event hosted by South Korea's Ministry of National Defense to promote regional security cooperation.