Philippines protests China’s sanctions against its defense chief as ‘an unfriendly act’

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine government said Friday that China’s imposition of sanctions, including an entry ban, against Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. was “an unfriendly act” that could further strain relations, while he vowed to continue defending Manila’s interests against Beijing’s aggression.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing announced late Thursday that Teodoro and his family have been banned from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macao, over what it described as “irresponsible remarks” he has made that undermined Beijing’s interests.

The Chinese government also prohibited individuals and groups in China from having any transactions with Teodoro and his family.

Teodoro, who was appointed defense chief by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in June 2023, has been one of the most vocal critics of China’s actions in the disputed South China Sea and against Taiwan.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said imposing sanctions was China’s prerogative but that the Philippines viewed it “as an unfriendly act that further complicates the bilateral relations.”

“Such measures do not contribute to building mutual trust, managing differences responsibly or creating the conditions necessary for constructive engagement between our two countries,” it said.

Teodoro said he would continue to carry out his duties and that China’s sanctions underscored “what they do to those who speak the truth against their deception.”

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said that Teodoro and other “anti-China elements” in the Philippines are stirring up trouble and that their behavior has escalated the disputes between the two countries.

“The words and actions are not, as he claims, about safeguarding his country’s dignity,” Lin said. “Rather, they are nothing more than a show put on to serve his own political interests.”

China has imposed sanctions on a former Philippine senator last year, as well as against U.S. and European officials in the past, for actions that Beijing deemed go against its interests and actions, including on human rights.

The former senator, Francis Tolentino, was the author of two bills that reaffirmed the extent of the Philippines’ maritime territories and right to resources, including in the South China Sea. China claims the disputed waterway almost in its entirety.

Marcos eventually signed the two bills into law.

Last year, Teodoro called China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea “the biggest fiction and lie” and singled out Chinese President Xi Jinping and his supporters within the Chinese Communist Party for what he called Beijing’s aggressive and illegal policies.

Teodoro has led efforts to deepen Manila’s defense and security engagements with the United States, the longtime treaty ally of the Philippines, including by broadening annual combat exercises with American forces that now include joint naval patrols and drills in the South China Sea.

He has also led efforts to forge visiting forces agreements with friendly countries including Japan, France, Canada and New Zealand which he said would help increase deterrence against China’s assertiveness.