South China Sea: Philippines defence minister calls out China for ‘gutter-level talk’, says to ramp up military ties
- The Philippines is planning to hold ‘more robust’ military activities with the US and its allies, the country’s Defence Secretary told Bloomberg News
- Gilberto Teodoro in a statement also accused spokesperson Mao Ning of ‘spouting state-sanctioned propaganda and disinformation’
The Philippines is planning “more robust” military activities with the US and its allies in the face of a “more aggressive” China, the Southeast Asian nation’s top defence official said.
“The alliance with the US is extremely strong,” Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Wednesday in his office in Manila.
“We would like to build up our capabilities in order for us to be a more effective contributor to regional stability.”
The Philippines is building on a stronger partnership with the US under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to expand ties with “other allies and like-minded countries” including Australia, Japan, the UK and Canada amid the threat of China’s “domination” in the South China Sea.
As the US heads into a crucial election in November, Teodoro hopes that Washington’s defence strategy in the Indo-Pacific will not waver.
“A lot has been invested already on both sides,” Teodoro said, referring to the US and Philippine engagements. Ensuring security in the Indo-Pacific and rights of passage in the vital trade route benefits not only the US and its allies but the entire global economy, according to the defence minister.
