Beijing Sanctions Philippine Defense Chief; Manila Calls it 'Unfriendly Act' Damaging Trust

(CNA, by Lin Hsing-chien, Manila, June 12) China announced on June 11 sanctions against Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and his family. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs responded that this move is an 'unfriendly act' that is not conducive to building mutual trust and promoting constructive interaction between the two countries.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement last night, stating that Teodoro has repeatedly made 'fallacious remarks' concerning China, harming China's legitimate interests and undermining China-Philippines relations.

The statement reads, 'To safeguard China's national sovereignty, security, and development interests, the Chinese side has decided to prohibit Teodoro and his spouse and children from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and to prohibit organizations and individuals within China from conducting any transactions, cooperation, or other activities with them.'

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a statement late last night responding that it had taken note of the sanctions announced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry against Teodoro and his family.

The DFA stated that while implementing sanctions is a sovereign right of China, the Philippines believes this measure does not help build mutual trust, manage differences, or create the necessary conditions for constructive engagement between the two countries.

Teodoro is one of the Philippine government's most hardline officials toward China. He has long criticized China's increasingly assertive actions in the disputed waters of the South China Sea and has actively promoted deepening military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States and other like-minded countries to strengthen deterrence against China.

During the Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asian security forum held in Singapore in May, Teodoro said in an interview with foreign media that he would seek closer ties with Taiwan.

Philippine political news website Politiko reported as early as June 3, citing sources, that China would place Teodoro and his family on a no-entry list and investigate whether his family has assets in China, which could be frozen or controlled if found.

Teodoro, who has Chinese ancestry, responded at the time that he has no assets in China and no plans to travel there.

Teodoro stated that his ancestors immigrated to the Philippines from China about six to seven generations ago and have not returned since, adding that he was fortunate his ancestors made this 'correct decision,' otherwise he might not have achieved his current position.

He admitted that he had indeed considered visiting, as Chinese cuisine is famous and its people are friendly, but these advantages are overshadowed by the oppressive methods of the Chinese government.

'It's not that I don't want to go; who wouldn't be interested in such a large country with such a rich culture. But the way the Chinese government acts is to deprive people of their rights, so I'd rather not,' Teodoro said. (Edited by Wei Shu) 1150612