Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has rejected China’s accusation that Manila used its chairmanship of ASEAN defence meetings to obstruct Beijing’s participation.
Speaking in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, on October 29, Teodoro said China’s criticism did not represent the regional bloc’s position. He maintained that Beijing’s delegation had been able to present its views during the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, known as ADMM-Plus.
The exchange exposed a disagreement over meeting procedures, diplomatic protocol and the treatment of China’s delegation at the regional security gathering.
China alleges obstacles to its participation
Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang accused the Philippines of allowing an unnamed politician to misuse the chairmanship and create obstacles to Chinese participation.
Zhang was responding to questions about why Beijing sent a defence attaché instead of its defence minister.
He alleged that Manila’s conduct breached ASEAN’s principle of consultation and consensus, undermined the meeting’s inclusive character and infringed China’s rights within the mechanism.
China nevertheless described its decision to send a representative as evidence of its support for ASEAN-led security cooperation. la.china-embassy.gov.cn
Teodoro says ASEAN members raised no similar concerns with him
Teodoro disputed Beijing’s account, saying other ASEAN members would have informed him if they shared those concerns.
He argued that ASEAN member states determine the bloc’s procedures and the arrangements governing dialogue partners’ participation.
China had alleged that several ASEAN countries questioned the Philippines’ actions. However, it did not identify those countries in the reported statement. Teodoro’s response likewise represented Manila’s account, rather than a separately issued collective ASEAN statement. Philstar.com
The disagreement therefore centres partly on competing descriptions of how other members viewed the meeting’s organisation.
Reception of Chinese attaché draws scrutiny
Another point of contention was Teodoro’s decision not to personally receive China’s defence attaché, Senior Captain Yang Lei.
Defence Undersecretary Ignacio Madriaga welcomed the Chinese representative instead.
Teodoro defended that arrangement by citing differences in diplomatic and official rank. He said having an undersecretary receive an attaché was an appropriately courteous reception. GMA News Online
The protocol dispute did not prevent China’s representative from attending the discussions.
South China Sea raised during talks
Teodoro confirmed that China presented its position on the South China Sea during the meeting.
He declined to disclose the detailed interventions or responses of other participating countries, saying Beijing’s remarks were consistent with positions it had previously expressed.
The Philippine defence chief maintained that participants had been able to exchange views on regional and maritime security. He argued that ASEAN itself should determine how those discussions are conducted.
The exchange took place against the backdrop of continuing maritime tensions between Manila and Beijing, which have repeatedly complicated their diplomatic relationship.
What is the ADMM-Plus?
The ADMM-Plus brings ASEAN defence ministers together with eight dialogue partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States.
It provides a forum for regional defence dialogue and cooperation, including discussions involving countries with competing security interests.
The Philippines chaired the 2026 meetings as part of its ASEAN chairmanship.
Despite the public disagreement, both governments acknowledged that China participated. Their dispute concerns whether the arrangements obstructed that participation and respected the forum’s procedures—questions on which Manila and Beijing offered sharply different accounts.
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