China accused Philippine officials of lying after Manila defense chief Gilberto Teodoro read aloud a Chinese note at the Seoul Defense Dialogue in Seoul on Tuesday. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the Philippines should stop grandstanding and lying and protect bilateral ties and peace in the South China Sea. Teodoro called the note coercion, bullying and aggression, while the Philippine foreign ministry later backed his statement. The episode came amid rising South China Sea tensions and followed China’s June sanctions on Teodoro.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro speaks during a panel session at the Seoul Defense Dialogue at The Grand Lotte Seoul hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. Captured from the Seoul Defense Dialogue 2026 YouTube livestream
China has accused Philippine officials of “grandstanding and lying” after Manila’s defense secretary publicly read aloud a Chinese diplomat’s note on the South China Sea that the Philippine minister described as “coercion, bullying and aggression.”
“We urge certain people in the Philippines to stop this grandstanding and lying, and to protect China-Philippine relations and the peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.
