Teodoro dismisses Chinese questions on West Philippine Sea as propaganda

During a defense forum in Singapore, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. dismissed questions from Chinese military officials about the West Philippine Sea as 'propaganda', emphasizing that China suffers from a 'deficit of trust' in dialogues over the South China Sea dispute.

Chinese officials questioned why the Philippines was not engaging in dialogue like Malaysia and Vietnam, while accusing it of provoking confrontations; Teodoro stressed that the Philippines is a sovereign nation committed to supporting UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).

Teodoro reiterated that the Philippine stance on the West Philippine Sea is not influenced by Sino-American strategic rivalry but rather by China's overreach in the region, citing examples like Mischief Reef where initial claims have evolved into fortified islands.

He also criticized the framing of questions as misleading and highlighted that no country stood with China over its nine-dash line claim that encompasses most of the South China Sea.

Teodoro stressed that effective dialogue must be coupled with trust, emphasizing that China has a lot of trust-building to do before becoming an effective negotiating partner in dispute settlement.