'Desperate, Bully & Aggressive': Philippines Defence Chief Teodoro Publicly Bashes China Over A 'Note' During His Speech At Seoul Forum - VIDEO

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro sharply criticised China after an unexpected note from a Chinese military attaché was handed to him during his remarks at the Seoul Defence Dialogue in South Korea.

The incident unfolded on Tuesday, September 8, during a panel discussion on regional security and maritime challenges. Teodoro was speaking about the Philippines' concerns in the South China Sea when a forum staff member approached him and placed a sheet of paper on the table.

Teodoro stopped his remarks, picked up the document and indicated that he believed it had come from China.

"I have a note here. I think this is from China. And may I read it?" he told the audience.

Chinese message disputes 2016 South China sea ruling

The note reiterated Beijing's longstanding rejection of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration decision. It described China's position on the arbitration as "clear, consistent and firm" and argued that the ruling violated fundamental principles of international law.

The message also maintained Beijing's position that the tribunal's decision had no binding force. China has consistently rejected the arbitration award, arguing that the tribunal did not have jurisdiction to decide the dispute.

The 2016 case was brought by the Philippines under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The tribunal rejected China's expansive claims to historic rights across much of the South China Sea and affirmed the Philippines' maritime entitlements under international law.

China has never accepted the ruling, which remains a central point of disagreement between Beijing and Manila.

Teodoro challenges China's position

Rather than setting the note aside, Teodoro read its contents to the audience and responded to the arguments one by one.

When the document suggested that the arbitration decision conflicted with international law, Teodoro questioned the logic of China's position.

"So what you're saying is UNCLOS violates international law? That's what you mean," he said.

When the note stated that the arbitration award had no binding force, Teodoro responded by pointing to Beijing's refusal to accept the ruling.

"Because you don't want to be subjected to UNCLOS," he said, before adding a pointed remark about China's rejection of the decision: "Of course, because you lost."

His comments drew attention at the forum and turned what could have been a brief interruption into a public confrontation over the long-running maritime dispute.

Teodoro accuses Beijing of 'coercion, bullying and aggression'

Teodoro also questioned why such a message had been delivered to him while he was speaking at an international defence gathering.

He argued that the incident went beyond the disagreement over the South China Sea ruling, saying the manner in which the note was delivered showed a lack of respect for the event's host and other participants.

"Perhaps basic decency and behavior are what China needs," Teodoro said. "This is not a gray zone anymore. This is actual coercion, bullying and aggression."

He described the note as evidence of what he called China's "desperate and ineffective" position and said he intended to keep the document.

"I will keep this paper as a memento of how desperate China is and how ineffective its position is in the face of a free audience," he said.

Teodoro then directed a sarcastic comment at the person who had delivered the message.

"You've just done your country a great service. Thank you, and I hope you don't suffer in a gulag for it."

How the Chinese Note Reached Teodoro

According to organisers of the Seoul Defence Dialogue, the message originated with a Chinese military attaché from the Chinese Embassy in Seoul.

The attaché reportedly handed the paper to a member of the forum staff and asked that it be delivered to Teodoro. The staff member apparently believed the document was an internal message intended for the Philippine delegation and passed it to Teodoro while he was speaking.

The unexpected delivery was captured during the event's livestream and quickly attracted widespread attention online.

Published on: Wednesday, September 09, 2026, 12:04 PM IST