The Philippines' Secretary of National Defense, Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., just delivered a masterclass in standing up to China.
At the Seoul Defense Dialogue on Tuesday, right in the middle of his speech, a note from Chinese officials was handed to him, scolding the Defense Secretary and trying to intimidate him over the Philippines' stance on issues of Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea. China has been steadily increasing its territorial and resource claims in the region without crossing into open war, using its coast guard, civilian maritime militias, and other non-military tactics to avoid full military confrontation. Countries in the region have grown tired of the blatant aggression.
But rather than back down, Secretary Teodoro read the note out loud, and turned it into proof of his point.
You need to watch this incredible video to understand just how tired China's neighbors are of its aggressive coercion.
— Kareem Rifai 🌐 (@KareemRifai) September 8, 2026
In the middle of a talk at the Seoul Defense Dialogue, China drops a note scolding and attempting to intimidate the Filipino National Defense Secretary over the… https://t.co/z0bsMVOqmL
"These are words slipped to me," Secretary Teodoro said after reading from the document. "There is a legal principle called 'res ipsa loquitur,' the thing speaks for itself. How can you deal with a country in an international forum, beyond the question asked to me? Disrespecting the organizers of this forum, how do you expect to deal with it civilly?"
"I ask you the question, is this the right paper to post to me when I'm being asked a question on the floor? And how will you treat this kind of behavior? If this is a Chinese position said to me, it not only disrespects international law, throwing UNCLOS to the floor and trampling upon it, but also disrespects the basic decency that should be accorded to our most gracious hosts, the Republic of Korea and the rest of the audience here," he added. "So perhaps basic decency and behavior is what China needs to do."
"Now, to go back to the question, we need to coalesce. And secondly, this is not gray zone anymore. This is actual coercion, bullying, and aggression. 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," Secretary Teodoro said. "Thank you very much for the person who gave me this piece of paper. You've just done your country a great service. Thank you. And I hope you don't suffer in a gulag for it."
One can only imagine the fuming Chinese officials behind that note. But the move shows, more clearly than ever, that China must be dealt with not as an equal partner with an equal say at forums like the UN, but as a threat that should be called out as such.