By Rae Wee and Greg Torode
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -China has a “deficit of trust and credibility” it needs to overcome in order to mend its fraught defence ties with the Philippines, though any breakthrough in the near term remains unlikely, Manila’s top defence official said on Saturday.
Defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro told Reuters that the threat of China’s growing military prowess was “undeniable”, echoing comments from Pete Hegseth, the counterpart from his U.S. treaty ally.
“China’s activities are getting more expansive and more aggressive. Their demonstrations of force are getting more frequent, and in the West Philippine Sea, we are getting used to their activities, but they have expanded the areas where they are doing it,” he said, referring to the South China Sea.
In a wide-ranging interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence meeting in Singapore, Teodoro spoke of the frustration of dealing with Chinese military counterparts who rarely stray from talking points and propaganda and represent an institution that exists to serve the Communist Party leadership.
“I believe my foreign affairs colleagues are trying their level best to engage China. But on the defence side, what we have seen is that China has to overcome a deficit of trust and credibility,” he said.
“They continue their activities while gaslighting us that because the proximity and the defensive capabilities of the Philippines are not on par with Vietnam, so they choose us as an easy target.”
But Teodoro said both the United States and the Philippines wanted to peacefully deter China and he remained confident in Washington’s security commitments after meeting Hegseth in Singapore.
The Philippines has been among the most vocal critics of China’s growing assertion of sovereignty in the South China Sea, in contrast to some of its neighbours like Malaysia, who have adopted a more cautious stance.
“No country in ASEAN is subjected to the same amount of intense activities in all fronts by China, but the Philippines,” said Teodoro.
China’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.
China’s foreign ministry earlier this month urged the Philippines to stop provocations in the South China Sea and officials have frequently accused the U.S. of sowing discord in the region.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal said Beijing’s claims, based on its historic maps, have no basis under international law, a decision China does not recognise.
(Reporting by Rae Wee and Greg TorodeEditing by Shri Navaratnam)
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