China sanctions Philippine defence secretary over ‘erroneous remarks’

[BEIJING] China’s foreign ministry announced sanctions on Thursday against Philippine Defence Secretary ⁠Gilberto Teodoro and his close relatives, saying he had “repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning China” which had undermined China’s “legitimate interests” and bilateral ties.

The sanctions mean Teodoro and his wife and child are prohibited from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, the ministry said in a statement, and that entities in China “are prohibited from engaging in any transactions, cooperation, or other activities with Teodoro and his spouse and child.”

The measures were imposed to “safeguard China’s national sovereignty, security, and development interests,” the ministry added, without specifying what remarks by Teodoro it particularly objected to.

Teodoro’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Repeated standoffs

Last week, Beijing accused the Philippine defence chief of having ​no gratitude for China’s supply of important commodities and of using issues about people’s well-being for political ​showmanship, after Teodoro’s remarks about China being a threat.

“For countries like the ​Philippines ... which is under severe threat territory-wise and politically too by China, ⁠we have no choice but really to be resilient and to stand up against Chinese ​aggression,” he had told Reuters on the sidelines of Singapore’s Shangri-La ‌Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence forum.

After unconfirmed reports had surfaced last week about a China entry ban, he said: “I have no assets in China and I have no plans to go there,” according to local media ABS-CBN.

“Even if I wanted to visit because the food is good and the people are kind, that is overshadowed by the kind of government they have,” he was quoted saying.

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China and the Philippines have engaged in repeated maritime standoffs in the South China Sea in recent ​years, as Beijing continues to press expansive claims over waters that overlap with rival claimants that also include Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, despite a 2016 arbitration ruling.

Earlier this week, Manila took diplomatic action against Beijing for what it called the “illegal presence” of a floating structure in a disputed atoll. REUTERS