Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro publicly rebuked a Chinese delegate during the Seoul Defense Dialogue on September 8, after being handed a note challenging the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling while he was speaking on stage.
According to The Manila Times, an unidentified Chinese representative passed Teodoro a note during the plenary session asserting that the 2016 ruling “violates fundamental principles of international law” and calling it “illegal, null, and void.”
The Philippines brought its South China Sea dispute with China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2013. In July 2016, the tribunal ruled that China’s nine-dash line (now ten-dash line) had no basis under international law, and that the Philippines was entitled to exclusive rights over resources in its exclusive economic zone. China has never accepted or recognized the ruling.
Responding on stage, Teodoro said that if the note reflected China’s official position, it showed disrespect not only for international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, but also for South Korea as host and for the basic courtesy owed to other participants. He questioned whether the note was an appropriate document to hand him while he was mid-session answering questions.
Teodoro added that China should show “basic courtesy and decorum,” using a Filipino phrase to tell Beijing to have some manners, some sense of shame. His remarks drew applause from the audience.
He went on to reaffirm that the Philippines would not compromise on territorial integrity and sovereignty, would resist aggression from any state, and would continue defending international law while modernizing its military and deepening defense partnerships with like-minded countries.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), September 9, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202609090002.aspx