Philippines snubs China at ASEAN after ‘blackmailing remark,’ says defence chief
No talks took place between the defence chiefs of China and the Philippines during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, after Manila took offence at Beijing’s warning to “mend its ways,” the Philippines’ defence chief said.
Philippine Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. on Sunday cited comments from China’s Ministry of National Defense, made a day before the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ meeting, as the reason he refused to engage his Chinese counterpart.
Beijing’s defence spokesman, Zhang Xiaogang, had issued a sharp warning to the Philippines over the South China Sea dispute, accusing Manila of “blackmailing the big by the small.”
“Would you offer to talk to somebody who slammed your country that way? Of course not,” Teodoro told reporters, as shown by state-run media PTV. “I would be willing to talk if there was a semblance of good faith.”
Teodoro described Zhang’s remarks as a “slap to the face.”
The two countries have long been at odds over sections of the South China Sea that China claims under its “nine-dash line” but which international law recognises as within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Despite a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling in Manila’s favour, Beijing continues to reject the decision, and the contested waters remain flashpoints between their coast guards.
Zhang accused the Philippines of provoking China and “making waves at sea by soliciting external support,” but insisted Beijing would continue to defend its maritime rights through “legitimate, legal, professional and prudent actions.”
"For a period of time, the Philippine side has launched frequent infringements and provocations against China, stirring up troubles at sea," he said, further accusing Manila of trying to "make waves at sea by soliciting external support, blackmailing and pressuring China through bluffing acts that resemble the fox borrowing the tiger's terror."
"We would never allow any provocations and trouble-making to work, nor would we leave any room for blackmailing the big by the small," he continued.
Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the ASEAN Summit, though he and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. later met briefly at the APEC Summit in South Korea.
There, Marcos — who is preparing to host the ASEAN Summit next year — congratulated Xi on receiving the torch to host the next APEC Summit.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
