Scandal between China and Philippines at the Seoul Defense Dialogue

Seoul. A scandal broke out between representatives of China and the Philippines at a security policy forum in South Korea. During the public debate at the Seoul Defense Dialogue, Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro received a written note of protest from the Chinese delegation, which he denounced in front of cameras as a provocative attempt at intimidation: "This is no longer a gray area. This is actual coercion, intimidation and aggression," the minister said indignantly.

Beijing's official position in the dispute over spheres of influence in the South China Sea was noted on the protest note. The Chinese attitude disregards the rules of international law and basic decency, criticized Teodoro. The Philippines is confronted with threats from the People's Republic of China every day.

The minister said he would keep the letter as a souvenir of “how desperately China” was acting and how little effect its position had on a free audience - and pointedly held the piece of paper up to the cameras. The person who handed him the protest note had done a “great service” to their home country: “I hope that you don’t end up in a gulag for this.” Teodoro received applause from the audience for his spontaneous reaction to the letter.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea for itself. However, other countries such as the US-allied Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and the island republic of Taiwan also claim parts of the resource-rich maritime area. They point to the decision of a UN arbitration tribunal from 2016, which China again does not recognize.

At the time, the arbitral tribunal found that China's far-reaching historical claims in the South China Sea had no basis in UN maritime law. In addition, the People's Republic violated the rights of the Philippines through some activities - such as landfills and interference with Philippine fishing and raw material rights.