China warns Philippines to stop provocations after heated exchange on Seoul stage
Geopolitics
China-Philippines relations face a fresh round of tension after Beijing warned Manila to stop provoking and playing theatrics, following a sharp rebuttal by the Philippine defense secretary on a security conference stage in Seoul. The incident occurred during the Seoul Defense Dialogue on Tuesday, when Gilberto Teodoro Jr., the Philippine defense secretary, received a message from the Chinese side during a panel discussion, before reading the message aloud in front of attendees. The message laid out China's position on the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling and stressed that China does not accept the ruling in favor of the Philippines. Teodoro responded immediately, accusing China of coercion, intimidation and aggression in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday that China urges certain individuals on the Philippine side to stop provoking and staging theatrics, and to stop undermining China-Philippines relations and stability in the South China Sea. Collin Koh, a senior researcher at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, sees the incident as likely to raise tensions, but does not expect the situation to escalate into armed conflict, since both governments still want to keep relations stable, especially after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signaled he wants to reset ties with China.
