On 8th September (Tuesday), the Philippines Defence Secretary, Gilberto C. Teodoro, strongly criticised China after receiving a note from a Chinese delegate during a session at the Seoul Defence Dialogue in South Korea. A man wearing a lanyard and blazer set the note on the table next to Teodoro. Despite being invited, China chose not to send any high-ranking government representatives to the event.
“I have a note here; I think this is from China. And may I read it?” Teodoro asked the audience. The communication conveyed the country’s stance on the long-running maritime conflict between the two sides over the South China Sea. It claimed, “China’s position on the South China Sea arbitration is clear, consistent and firm. They have no position. The arbitration violates fundamental principles of international law.”
MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO | Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. responded to a note from the Chinese side during the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2026 in Seoul, Republic of Korea.#DNDPHL #DiKaPasisiil #SDD2026 pic.twitter.com/fsCRVphkgf
— Department of National Defense – Philippines (@dndphl) September 8, 2026
A furious Teodoro expressed, “How can you deal with a country in an international forum – beyond the question asked to me – disrespecting the organisers of this forum? How do you expect to deal with it civilly,” while speaking next to the South Korean and Czech defence ministers.
He further stated, “I ask you the question: 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 behaviour? It not only disrespects, shows, if this is a Chinese position sent to me, it not only disrespects international law, throwing UNCLOS to the floor and trampling upon it, but it also disrespects the basic decency that should be accorded to our most gracious host, the Republic of Korea and the rest of the audience here.”
“So, perhaps basic decency and behaviour is what China needs to do. This is not a grey zone anymore. This is actual coercion, bullying and aggression. I will keep this paper as a memento of how desperate China is and how ineffective its position is in the face of a free audience. Thank you very much to the person who gave me this piece of paper. You have just done your country a great service,” Teodoro emphasised. He even told Beijing to “have some shame,” in Filipino.
The memo was related to the 2016 lawsuit that the Philippines filed against China under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The latter was found to be illegally reclaiming areas in Philippine territorial waters in the South China Sea Arbitration case. China has constantly accused the Philippines of allegedly violating its sovereignty in the disputed waters and has long opposed the decision. There have been several tense naval standoffs between the two nations as a result of the protracted tensions.
Teodoro targeted China’s stance, noting that it only refused to recognise the UNCLOS after losing the arbitral tribunal. Manila’s claim to the West Philippine Sea is acknowledged by the historic verdict.
The latest development took place months after China placed sanctions on Teodoro, charging him with hurting bilateral relations through his statements and provoking tensions amid already strained ties due to territorial issues. Teodoro is the highest-ranking official from Manila who has been sanctioned by Beijing.
According to Yonhap News in South Korea, a military attaché at the Chinese embassy in Seoul wrote the message. An event staff member gave it to Teodoro when he was on stage after mistaking it for a note from the Philippine delegation. Teodoro also confirmed that the person was a Chinese delegate in a Facebook video.
The Filipino defence chief has similarly rebuked China at international forums earlier. He lashed out at the country at the Shangri-La Dialogue last year for its “propaganda spiels disguised as questions.” He also advocated for a cooperative security architecture throughout Asia during the inaugural plenary session attended by global defence leaders.
