China hands note to Philippines defence chief mid-speech; Teodoro rebuts it point-by-point | WATCH

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has gone viral on internet for standing up against China at a Seoul forum. He was participating in the first plenary session of the Seoul Defense Dialogue, hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, which focused on ways to build a more stable international order amid growing geopolitical tensions. The session was intended to promote dialogue and security cooperation among officials and experts from dozens of countries.However, matters took a heated turn while Teodoro was speaking and an official handed over a note to him. The Seoul Defense Dialogue is an annual South Korean security forum launched in 2012 and elevated to ministerial level in 2023. Its 15th edition brought together around 1,000 officials and experts from 67 countries and international organisations.

What actually happened?

As Teodoro started speaking about the South China Sea dispute, accusing some countries of using hostility and unchecked power at the expense of smaller states, he was interrupted by a man who handed him a note. Looking perplexed, he opened the note. Teodoro said, “This seems to be a note from China,” before reading it aloud. The note reportedly said that the “so-called arbitral award is illegal, null and void.” “That’s your claim,” Teodoro replied.

The note appeared to refer to a 2016 arbitration ruling issued in a case brought by the Philippines under UNCLOS. The tribunal rejected China’s claim to historic rights over much of the South China Sea under its “nine-dash line.” Beijing has since refused to recognize the ruling. It is not known if the man who handed the note was a Chinese Embassy official or any other person. The Chinese Embassy in Seoul also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. No senior Chinese government official attended the event.

Teodoro continued reading the lines on the note, stating that China neither accepted nor recognised the ruling, to which he responded, “Of course, because you lost.” He said the Philippines would not sacrifice its territory or sovereignty and would continue to resist actions that violated international law, in remarks widely seen as directed at China. He went on to say that if the note represented China’s position, it amounted to “throwing UNCLOS on the floor and trampling on it.”

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Slamming China, he said, "I ask you the question, is this the right paper to post to me when I'm being asked a question on the floor? And how will you treat this kind of behavior? It not only disrespects, shows, if this is a Chinese position sent to me, it not only disrespects international law, throwing UNCLOS to the floor and trampling upon it, but it also disrespects the basic decency accorded that should be accorded to our most gracious host, the Republic of Korea and the rest of the audience here," he continued.

"So, perhaps basic decency and behavior is what China needs to do. This is actual coercion, bullying and aggression. I will keep this paper as a memento of how desperate China is and how ineffective its position is in the face of a free audience. Thank you very much for the person who gave me this piece of paper. You have just done your country a great service," Teodoro added.