Beijing tells Manila to 'stop lying' after minister exposes South China Sea note

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.

The forum organiser said the note came from a military attache at the Chinese embassy in Seoul who passed it to a forum staff member for Teodoro.

The note repeated Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration award, which China called illegal, null and void.

The Philippine foreign ministry spokesman Analyn Ratonel said in Manila that the department respected Teodoro’s statement and views.

The article said clashes between Chinese and Philippine coastguard and naval vessels in the South China Sea have raised concern about possible military escalation that could draw in the United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines.

Published Sep 10, 2026 11:07 am KST

At Seoul Defense Dialogue, Gilberto Teodoro brands China's handwritten memo on arbitration ruling as 'coercion and bullying'

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.

Mao was responding to a question regarding the remarks of Gilberto Teodoro who — while speaking at a Seoul Defense Dialogue session on Tuesday — received a note reiterating China’s position on the South China Sea arbitration.

Teodoro read out parts of the handwritten note, which included Beijing’s rejection of the arbitration and a statement that the award in 2016 denying most of China’s claims in the South China Sea, was “illegal, null and void”.

The forum organiser later said the note came from a military attache at the Chinese embassy in Seoul, who passed it to a forum staff member and asked that it be given to Teodoro, according to Korean news agency Yonhap.

Philippine defense chief slams China over audience note on South China Sea at Seoul forum

Teodoro said the move was impolite to their Korean hosts.

“How can you deal with a country in an international forum beyond the question asked to me?” he said. “Disrespecting the organisers of this forum, how do you expect to deal with it civilly?”

Teodoro said the note also showed disrespect for international law.

“So, perhaps basic decency and behaviour is what China needs to do … This is actual coercion, bullying, and aggression,” he said, adding that he would keep the note as a “memento of how desperate China is.”

On Wednesday, the Philippine foreign ministry weighed in, with assistant secretary and spokeswoman Analyn Ratonel saying in Manila: “We respect the statement and views of Secretary Teodoro.”

Tuesday’s episode came amid heightened tension over the disputed waters in the South China Sea, where confrontations — and sometimes clashes — between coastguard and naval vessels from China and the Philippines have prompted concern of a military escalation that could draw in the United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines.

In June, in a rare move targeting a sitting senior foreign official, Beijing announced sanctions on Teodoro for what Beijing said were erroneous remarks against China that undermined China’s legitimate interests and damaged bilateral relations.

Read the article at SCMP.

周二，菲律宾国防部长吉尔伯托·特奥多罗在首尔举行的防务对话上公开宣读了一份中国照会，随后中国指责菲律宾官员撒谎。中国外交部发言人毛宁表示，菲律宾应该停止作秀和撒谎，维护双边关系和南海和平。特奥多罗称该照会是胁迫、霸凌和侵略，菲律宾外交部随后也支持了他的说法。此事正值南海局势日益紧张之际，此前中国于6月对特奥多罗实施了制裁。

论坛组织者表示，这张纸条来自中国驻首尔大使馆的一名武官，他将其转交给了论坛工作人员，再由工作人员转交给了特奥多罗。

该照会重申了北京对2016年南海仲裁裁决的拒绝，中国称该裁决非法、无效。

菲律宾外交部发言人阿纳林·拉托内尔在马尼拉表示，外交部尊重特奥多罗的声明和观点。

文章称，中国和菲律宾海警及海军舰艇在南海发生的冲突引发了人们对可能出现军事升级的担忧，这可能会将菲律宾的条约盟友美国卷入其中。

发布于2026年9月10日上午11:07（韩国标准时间）

在首尔防务对话会上，吉尔伯托·特奥多罗将中国关于仲裁裁决的手写备忘录斥为“胁迫和欺凌”。

菲律宾国防部长吉尔伯托·特奥多罗周二在首尔乐天大酒店举行的首尔防务对话小组讨论会上发表讲话。视频截图来自2026年首尔防务对话YouTube直播。

菲律宾国防部长公开宣读了中国外交官关于南海问题的照会，菲律宾国防部长称该照会是“胁迫、欺凌和侵略”，中国指责菲律宾官员“哗众取宠、撒谎”。

中国外交部发言人毛宁表示：“我们敦促菲律宾某些人停止这种哗众取宠、谎话连篇的行为，维护中菲关系和南海和平稳定。”

毛泽东是在回应有关吉尔伯托·特奥多罗言论的问题时做出上述表态的。特奥多罗周二在首尔国防对话会议上发言时，收到了一份重申中国在南海仲裁问题上立场的便条。

特奥多罗朗读了手写便条的部分内容，其中包括北京方面拒绝仲裁，并声明 2016 年驳回中国在南海大部分主张的裁决是“非法、无效的”。

据韩联社报道，论坛组织者后来表示，这张纸条来自中国驻首尔大使馆的一名武官，他将其转交给论坛工作人员，并要求将其交给特奥多罗。

菲律宾国防部长抨击中国在首尔论坛上就南海问题发表的听众意见

特奥多罗表示，此举对韩国东道主不礼貌。

“除了我被问到的问题之外，你如何在国际论坛上与一个国家进行对话？”他说道，“你不尊重论坛组织者，又怎能指望以文明的方式处理此事？”

特奥多罗表示，该便条也表现出对国际法的不尊重。

“所以，或许中国需要做的就是展现基本的体面和行为……这实际上是胁迫、欺凌和侵略，”他说，并补充说他会保留这张纸条，作为“中国有多么绝望的纪念”。

周三，菲律宾外交部发表声明，助理部长兼发言人阿纳琳·拉托内尔在马尼拉表示：“我们尊重特奥多罗部长的声明和观点。”

周二发生的这起事件正值南海争议水域局势高度紧张之际。中国和菲律宾的海警和海军舰艇在南海发生对峙，有时甚至发生冲突，引发了人们对军事升级的担忧，而军事升级可能会将菲律宾的条约盟友美国卷入其中。

今年6月，北京罕见地对一位在任高级外国官员实施制裁，称特奥多罗发表了损害中国合法利益和双边关系的错误言论。

请阅读《南华早报》上的文章。