Key facts
- China's defence ministry accused a Philippine politician of imposing obstacles to China's participation at an ASEAN defence meeting.
- The ministry did not name the politician or specify the obstacles.
- China was represented by a military attache at the meeting.
- Philippine defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro stated that ASEAN determines how China is heard.
China's defence ministry stated on Thursday that a Philippine politician had "imposed obstacles to China's participation" at the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus held in Cebu this week, amid deteriorating relations between the two countries. Spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said the politician's actions ran counter to the meeting's spirit and violated diplomatic norms. China was represented by a military attache, as Defence Minister Dong Jun was likely attending a Communist Party meeting in Beijing. Relations between Beijing and Manila have been strained due to repeated confrontations in the South China Sea and recent Chinese sanctions on Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. Teodoro later commented that ASEAN determines how China is heard, without directly addressing the obstruction allegation.