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Jean Iau

Members of Asean might have conflicting claims in the South China Sea but mutual trust existed in the bloc, Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro Jnr said on Sunday, singling out Beijing as the biggest obstacle to a code of conduct in the disputed waterway.
Teodoro delivered strong words for China in the final panel of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, taking aim at Manila’s long-time maritime rival for disregarding an international arbitral tribunal, which ruled in favour of the Philippines in 2016.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China have been negotiating the code since 2002 to reduce tensions in the contested waterway by setting rules for maritime behaviour and crisis management.
But talks have repeatedly stalled over the years amid tensions over territorial claims and competing national interests between Beijing and some Asean states, most notably the Philippines.
As Asean chair, Manila has maintained that it would finalise the agreement by the end of this year before handing over the reins to Singapore.
“Why is there a need for a code of conduct when we have peremptory norms such as Unclos, such as UN Charter, and the [COC] is a collective code by a group of nations on the one side and with a single actor on the other, so perhaps the problem does not lie within Asean, the problem lies with the counterparty to the code of conduct,” said Teodoro, who later named the country as China.

Asked about what the COC would look like, he said within Asean, there was no need for a code because states trusted each other and their militaries worked side by side.
“The problem lies with the outlier and perhaps they would like a vigorous code of conduct, so they can bargain for a status quo, which is unfair,” Teodoro said.
He added that the Philippines would not sacrifice territorial integrity and sovereignty because the constitution did not allow it.
“And to do so would be to subvert the popular democratic and free mandate that the people gave our political leaders, unlike some autocratic systems where the mandate comes from above … We have to defend mandates to our populations.”
“For the PRC, therefore, in the Philippine experience, negotiations are therefore not a path to conflict resolution, but a means of gaining advantage, and we must, we will not be deceived,” Teodoro said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.
He stressed that Manila would continue to adhere to the rule of law and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun skipped the forum, which Beijing regards as a US-led event, for a second year in a row. China instead sent a lower-level People’s Liberation Army delegation to the defence summit.


During the question and answer session, a Chinese delegate noted that in recent years Beijing had witnessed Philippines sending personnel to land on uninhabited island reefs in the South China Sea, violating the declaration of conduct signed by Asean members and Beijing in 2002. He asked Teodoro to explain this contradiction.
Teodoro stressed that the Philippines was a smaller country and it would be “foolhardy” to initiate encounters, particularly in areas where it had no legal means to be in.
“The encounters are caused by an occupant without any right or any legitimate claim that they are willing to demonstrate impartially before an international tribunal, such as in the arbitral award, that is the cause,” he said.
“It is not the Philippines or Indonesia or Malaysia or Brunei or Vietnam, for that matter, which is the cause of encounters at sea, [it is] China.”
Teodoro said Manila would also defend the autonomy of Asean members and ensure that the region remained peaceful, stable and free from the undue influence of any single hegemony, “particularly those that have interests actively antagonistic to any of our member states”.
He noted that none of the Asean countries ever claimed maritime cooperative activities were destabilising to regional peace and security, adding that Manila welcomed its enhanced defence partnerships with treaty partners Australia, Japan and the US.
“Now we recognise that we have divergence of views and interests, especially in the maritime sphere,” he said.
“Nevertheless, we hold true to the original ideals of Asean that in diversity lies our strength, and through genuine autonomy, we will establish the basis of our unity.”


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Philippines says Beijing main hurdle to South China Sea code of conduct

A Chinese coastguard vessel patrols the disputed South China Sea on May 23. Photo: Xinhua

Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro Jnr delivers a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Members of the Chinese delegation attend the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on Sunday. Photo: AFP

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr meets Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) at the Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo on Thursday. Photo: EPA

Empress Masako (second right) greets Philippine first lady Liza Araneta Marcos at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: AP

A Philippine Navy helicopter prepares to land on a Japanese destroyer during a joint maritime exercise held off the coast of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon last year. Photo: Kyodo

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Singapore’s Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing (centre) with representatives from 16 partner countries during the launch of the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday. Photo: Singapore’s Ministry of Defence

Singapore’s Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing speaks at the launch of the Guide during the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday. Photo: Singapore’s Ministry of Defence

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday. Marles warns the seabed has become a “battlefield”. Photo: Reuters

An underwater cable on the seabed is seen in this illustration. Recent incidents have highlighted the growing vulnerability of submarine cable infrastructure. Photo: Shutterstock

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Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte delivers a statement following her impeachment on February 7. Photo: Reuters

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Paolo Duterte (left) the brother of Sara Duterte-Carpio chats with fellow representatives before the session starts on the voting to impeach her on May 11. Photo: AP

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Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, defence chief Teodoro blamed China for stalling the pact and stressed Asean’s unity on the issue


Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, defence chief Teodoro blamed China for stalling the pact and stressed Asean’s unity on the issue.


Philippines says Beijing main hurdle to South China Sea code of conduct

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, defence chief Teodoro blamed China for stalling the pact and stressed Asean’s unity on the issue

Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, defence chief Teodoro blamed China for stalling the pact and stressed Asean’s unity on the issue