China's threat note exposed: Philippines defence minister shames Beijing live at Seoul security forum

New Delhi: A note handed to Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro during a security conference in Seoul turned into a public exchange over China’s position on the South China Sea. He was speaking at the Seoul Defence Dialogue in South Korea on Tuesday (September 8) when a Chinese military representative approached his table and left a sheet of paper beside him. Teodoro stopped his speech, picked up the note and read its contents aloud to the audience. "I have a note and I believe it is from China," he said. The incident took place as he was discussing regional security and the South China Sea. The note stated, "China’s position on the China Sea arbitration is clear, consistent and firm." Teodoro immediately challenged the statement. "It has no position. This arbitration violates the basic principles of international law," he said. The exchange brought the long-running maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing into the Seoul forum. It is a long-standing legal dispute that began when the Philippines took China to arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Known as the South China Sea Arbitration, the case was decided in 2016. The tribunal rejected several aspects of Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea and ruled that activities such as land reclamation had violated Philippines’ maritime rights. China has rejected the arbitration ruling and has continued to dispute Manila's claims in the South China Sea. Beijing has also accused the Philippines of violating China's sovereignty in the disputed waters. The dispute has led to confrontations involving Chinese and Philippine vessels in the region. Manila and Beijing have traded accusations over incidents at sea, including encounters involving naval and coast guard vessels. After reading the note, Teodoro turned to the audience and questioned the way the message had been delivered during an international event hosted by South Korea. “How can you engage with a country in an international forum that disrespects the hosts of that forum? How can you expect to engage with them in a civilised manner?" he asked. He then addressed China directly and questioned whether sending the paper while he was answering questions was appropriate. "I ask you, China, is it right to send me this piece of paper while I am being questioned at this event? And how would you deal with this kind of behaviour?" he said. He said the conduct went beyond the maritime dispute and involved basic protocol at an international gathering. “If this is the Chinese position sent to me, it is not only disrespectful to international law. It is like throwing UNCLOS on the ground and trampling on it. It also shows a lack of basic courtesy towards our hosts, the Republic of Korea, and everyone present here.” Teodoro said. He said China needed to follow basic standards of conduct at international meetings. " China perhaps needs to adopt basic courtesy and proper behaviour. This is really coercion, bullying and aggression," he said. He also said he would keep the note as a reminder of the exchange. "I will keep this piece of paper as a souvenir to remember how desperate China is and how weak its position is in front of free people," he said. He ended by thanking the person who had delivered the note, saying, "Thank you very much to the person who gave me this piece of paper. You have done a great service to your country." The Philippines and China have had a long-running dispute over parts of the South China Sea, an important waterway through which large volumes of world trade pass. Manila has relied on the 2016 arbitration ruling in defending its maritime claims. Beijing has refused to accept the tribunal's decision and has continued to assert its own claims over large areas of the sea. Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world news on Zee News.