Mysterious Note At Seoul Defence Dialogue Leads To Philippines-China Spat – Analysis

Key Takeaways:

At Seoul Defense Dialogue 2026, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro restated UNCLOS and the 2016 Hague ruling against China’s nine-dash line, and held talks with South Korea and USFK on a closer defense partnership.
A note from a Chinese military attaché called that award void. Teodoro rejected it as coercion and disrespect to the host; Beijing accused him of grandstanding.
The author says Chinese pressure, not a U.S. plot, is what pulls Manila toward Washington, Tokyo, Canberra, and Seoul. Sea confrontations continue.

The South China Sea issue, often seen as a major flashpoint in the Indo-Pacific region because of contesting claims by some countries to this global common, emerged as a hot topic of discussion at the Seoul Defence Dialogue 2026 held on 7-9 September. Philippines which has a running spat with China and took the matter to the International Court of Arbitration at The Hague and obtained a verdict in its favour in 2016 was represented by Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr, Secretary of National Defense. He was joined by senior defence officials, policy makers, and security experts from all over the globe in discussions on the evolving regional and global security environment.

The Seoul Defense Dialogue is an annual multilateral security forum hosted by South Korea’s Defense Ministry since 2012 to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and regional security cooperation. It was elevated to a ministerial-level forum in 2023. The three-day event, in its 15th year, brought together about 1,000 officials and experts from 67 countries and international organizations, including the defense ministers of the Czech Republic, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Uganda.

In the first plenary session titled, “Collaborative Architecture for International Stability,” Secretary Teodoro reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to international law and a rules-based international order, including adherence to United National Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982 and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award. The Court of Arbitration in its award in 2016 denied most of China’s claims in the South China Sea as “illegal, null and void”. He emphasized the value of cooperation among partners in advancing peace, stability, and security, and underscored the need for an international security architecture that places human security at its core.

Teodoro held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Dialogue with Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-back and United Nations Command/United States Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, among other engagements. Discussions focused on further strengthening the Philippines–ROK Strategic Partnership, particularly in defense cooperation, modernization, military exchanges, interoperability, emerging security domains, and regional security. The handout released by the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, mentioned that senior Philippine defense officials also took part in bilateral engagements and in the SDD Space Security and Cyber Working Groups. Both Philippines and South Korea resolved to deepen the defence and security pillars of the Strategic Partnership through sustained dialogue, practical cooperation, and closer exchanges.

What emerged as outstanding and caught everyone’s eyes was that the forum became a stage for Teodoro to sharply criticise China over the South China Sea, though it was originally intended to promote dialogue and security cooperation among officials and experts from dozens of countries. While speaking at the first plenary session focusing on ways to build a more stable international over amid growing geopolitical tensions, Teodoro turned to South China Sea dispute, accusing some countries of using hostility and unchecked power at the expense of smaller states and stressing the need to uphold international law, including the UNCLOS.

Teodoro was categorical saying that the Philippines would not sacrifice its territory or sovereignty and would continue to resist actions that violated international law, in remarks widely seen as directed at China. As he continued his criticism, he was handed a note from someone in the audience. Briefly looking at it, he realised the note was from China. As it transpired the note said that the “so-called arbitral award is illegal, null and void.”

Replying “that is your claim” Teodoro, the note appeared to refer to a 2016 arbitration ruling issued in a case brought by the Philippines under UNCLOS. The tribunal rejected China’s claim to historic rights over much of the South China Sea under its “nine-dash line.” Then Teodoro went ballistic, saying that “Have a little bit of decency, have a little bit of shame”. He noted that the note represented disrespect both for the forum and international law.

It may be noted that Chinese representatives took part in the Forum but were not featured as panelists or speakers. Over a decade has passed since the arbitral ruling but China’s position remains the same. It has refused to recognize the ruling and continues to assert claims over large parts of the waters, bringing Chinese and Philippine vessels into repeated confrontations in areas claimed by Manila. Teodoro was categorical saying that if the note represented China’s position, it amounted to “throwing UNCLOS on the floor and trampling on it.” He also criticized what he described as a lack of basic courtesy toward South Korea as the host of the forum. Since no senior Chinese government official attended the event, it remained unclear if the note came from a Chinese government or delegation official.

Beijing sees that Philippines is acting as a US proxy and provoking China. That is a question of perception how nations see each other based on issues that go beyond bilateral issues. There is no denying the fact that China’s aggressive stances are pulling other nations that respect global rules to come together and see common ground. This deterrence mechanism is the propelling factor for countries such as the US, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines to see common ground to address the common challenges confronting them.

Teodoro went further and observed that China’s handwritten memo on arbitration ruling as “coercion and bullying”. Undeterred, Beijing accused Philippine officials of “grandstanding and lying” after Teodoro read out the note on the South China Sea and described as “coercion, bullying and aggression”. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning urged Philippines to stop this grandstanding and lying, and to protect China-Philippine relations qnd peace and stability in the South China Sea.

It remained a mystery for a while about the source of the note given to Teodoro but it soon transpired that the note came from a military attaché at the Chinese embassy in Seoul, who passed it to a forum staff member and asked that it be given to Teodoro. Teodoro saw the move as impolite to their South Korean hosts, disrespecting the organiser of the forum and lacked civility, besides disrespecting international law.

The note episode came amid heightened tension over the disputed waters in the South China Sea, where confrontations – and sometimes clashes – between coastguard and naval vessels from China and the Philippines have prompted concern of a military escalation that could draw in the United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines. Philippines accuses China of firing water cannon at its vessels frequently and violating its fishing rights. In June, in a rare move targeting a sitting senior foreign official, Beijing announced sanctions on Teodoro for what Beijing said were erroneous remarks against China that undermined China’s legitimate interests and damaged bilateral relations.

As commented succinctly by an analyst in an earlier post in the Eurasiareview, the Seoul Defence Dialogue Forum became more than a conventional defence and security forum, exposing the widening strategic contest over the “rules, norms, and balance of power” in the Indo-Pacific. The narrative of the argument, accusations and counter accusations seemed to have changed, portraying China as the restrained party and Philippines is the provocateur being encouraged by external power to confront China. Only the naives would buy such argument as Beijing’s assertiveness and aggressive behaviour on a host of bilateral and regional issues are for everyone to see. Beijing’s narrative that Philippines is drawn into a security cooperation with the US, Japan, Australia, South Korea and other partner countries and be a part of its containment strategy is flawed as Beijing’s aggressive posture on regional issues has led to a strategic reaction by regional states so that regional equilibrium is not unduly altered.