Chinese note interrupts Teodoro at Seoul forum

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday accused China of “actual coercion, bullying and aggression” in the South China Sea (SCS) after a note reiterating Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 arbitral ruling was delivered to him while he was speaking at a regional security forum in Seoul, South Korea.

Teodoro was discussing the importance of compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) during the Seoul Defense Dialogue when he received the note, which he said appeared to be from China.

He read portions of the note aloud, including Beijing’s position that the SCS arbitration violated fundamental principles of international law and that the award was “illegal, null, and void” and had no binding force.

“So what you signed, Unclos, you mean, violates international law. That’s what you mean,” Teodoro said in response.

READ: Ten years after: What the Philippines really won

The note also said China neither accepted nor recognized the award and would not accept any claim or action arising from it, prompting Teodoro to quip: “Of course, because you lost.”

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

READ: An award that endures

An international arbitral tribunal in 2016, however, ruled that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources in areas beyond the maritime entitlements provided under the Unclos.

Teodoro then questioned why the note was delivered to him while he was answering a question during the forum.

“How can you deal with a country in an international forum beyond the question asked to me?” he said. “Disrespecting the organizers of this forum, how do you expect to deal with it civilly?”

Teodoro said the note, if it represented China’s position, showed disrespect for international law and for South Korea, which hosted the forum, as well as other participants.

“So perhaps basic decency and behavior is what China needs to do,” Teodoro said.

He then switched to Filipino, saying: “Maging disente lang kayo ng konti, mahiya naman kayo ng konti (Be a little decent; have a little shame).”

Coercion, bullying

Teodoro said the episode showed that tensions in the SCS have gone beyond what is commonly described as gray-zone activity.

“This is actual coercion, bullying and aggression,” he said, adding that he would keep the note as a reminder of what he described as China’s weak position before an international audience.

“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,” Teodoro said.

He also thanked the person who delivered the note, saying: “You’ve just done your country a great service. And I hope you don’t suffer in a gulag for it.”

According to forum organizers, the note came from a Chinese military attaché at the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. The attaché gave the note to a forum staff member and asked that it be given to Teodoro. The staff member then delivered it while Teodoro was speaking.

The exchange came during a wider discussion in which Teodoro argued that international rules need to be enforced fairly, particularly when dealing with powerful states and smaller countries.

“The norms are there,” he said. “It is the enforcement in a fair manner of these norms that are important.”

According to Teodoro, the Philippines would continue to uphold Unclos and would not compromise its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“I believe in the Philippines, our position is we will never compromise with our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said. “We will continue to resist aggression by anyone against Philippine territory.”

He added that Manila would also continue its defense modernization program and build stronger security cooperation with countries that share its commitment to international law. /cb