Philippines’ Teodoro says China could exploit cuts in US-South Korean exercises

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told Reuters on Monday that China could view recent reductions in U.S.-South Korean military drills as an opportunity to assert its dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. Teodoro stated that there were no changes to U.S.-Philippine military activities and that bilateral and multilateral cooperation involving Manila was still expanding.

He noted that China often capitalizes on gaps in military strategies. Despite the possibility, Teodoro affirmed that Manila had received clear assurances from Washington and that the changes would not impact commitments under the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. He also mentioned that the Philippines was strengthening defense ties with other nations, including Canada, New Zealand, France, and Britain.

Teodoro criticized China for exploiting democratic spaces to spread misleading narratives. He expressed doubt about potential joint oil and gas exploration talks between the Philippines and China, citing ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Teodoro was in Seoul for further discussions on defense cooperation with South Korea, a significant arms supplier to the Philippines.

While South Korea has provided the Philippines with various military assets, a planned submarine acquisition program remains unresolved due to mission requirements and infrastructure concerns. Teodoro highlighted that the focus on China's actions was fostering closer regional security cooperation, potentially leading to a more interconnected Indo-Pacific security network.