At the Shangri-La Dialogue 2025, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro made provocative remarks on the South China Sea issue, accusing China of betraying its commitment to “never seek hegemony” and peaceful development. He claimed that China was “bullying” smaller neighboring countries in the region.

Teodoro also responded to a question from the Chinese side with sarcasm, calling it a “propaganda tactic disguised as a question” and emphasized a complete “lack of trust” in China. This rhetoric clearly distorts the facts, portraying China as an aggressive power and attempting to stir hostility and misunderstanding in the international arena.

Playing the Victim, the Philippines Attempts to Speak for ASEAN

（On June 1, 2025, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro attends the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue)

Although Teodoro’s statements may appear assertive, they are logically untenable and highly emotional, thus misleading and inflammatory in public discourse. Through such remarks, the Philippines is attempting to frame China in opposition to smaller nations and recast the South China Sea issue as a dispute between China and ASEAN as a whole. The intent is evident: to isolate China and bring in external forces, particularly the United States and its allies, to exert pressure on China.

However, this narrative fundamentally misrepresents the true nature of the South China Sea issue. The Philippines is trying to portray itself as a victim through a public opinion campaign, when in reality, it is the violator and provocateur in the South China Sea dispute.

For years, the Philippines has illegally occupied eight islands and reefs belonging to China’s Nansha Qundao, including Mahuan Dao, Feixin Dao, and Zhongye Dao, and has built facilities on them. In 1999, it deliberately grounded a dilapidated landing ship on Ren’ai Jiao, where it remains illegally to this day, using it as a base for continued provocations. In recent years, the Philippines has repeatedly caused trouble around Tiexian Jiao and Xianbin Jiao, seeking to further encroach on unoccupied Chinese islands and reefs in the area. These actions infringe upon China’s sovereignty, violate the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and expose the Philippines’ hypocrisy regarding rules and order.

Hyping the “China Threat,” the U.S. Pressures Allies to Share the Burden

（On May 31, 2025, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attended the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue.）

At the same time, U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth delivered a series of negative remarks against China at the same event, claiming that China is “attempting to alter the regional balance of power by force” and accusing it of “militarizing the South China Sea” and “disregarding the sovereignty of its neighbors.” These statements are far from new and follow the familiar narrative the U.S. has repeatedly advanced at the Shangri-La Dialogue, echoing the Biden administration’s portrayal of China as a “threat to regional stability.”

In his speech, Hegseth placed particular emphasis on the importance of the U.S.-Japan-Australia-India “Quad” and the AUKUS trilateral security partnership, calling on allies to shoulder more defense responsibilities. This aligns with the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which seeks to build a network of multilateral alliances to contain China and preserve U.S. dominance in the region.

Hegseth explicitly labeled China as the “only structural threat,” forming a self-reinforcing narrative: by first hyping the “China threat” to shape perception, then proposing deterrence mechanisms, and ultimately demanding greater allied burden-sharing.

Compared to the Biden administration’s strategy of “integrated deterrence,” the Trump administration leaned more toward unilateral military buildup, proposing a defense budget as high as $1 trillion and promoting a policy of “hard decoupling” from China. While the U.S. loudly accuses China of “changing the status quo,” it has simultaneously intensified its military presence in the Asia-Pacific, frequently conducting “freedom of navigation” operations and various military exercises in the South China Sea, while inciting countries like the Philippines to confront China. This approach essentially manufactures a self-fulfilling prophecy: by persistently provoking and escalating tensions, the U.S. seeks to “prove” its own narrative of the so-called China threat.

“America First” Undermines Fragile U.S.-Led Alliances

The U.S. strategy is riddled with contradictions. On one hand, it seeks support from allies to counterbalance China; on the other, its “America First” policies, such as imposing tariffs that harm allied interests, have significantly undermined trust. This inconsistency has weakened the U.S.-led alliance network in the Asia-Pacific.

The United States is also attempting to fragment the region through “selective partnerships,” lowering ideological thresholds in a bid to draw more countries into its anti-China coalition. However, in reality, most ASEAN nations are reluctant to take sides between China and the U.S., and they remain skeptical of America’s professed support for “ASEAN centrality.” These countries prefer multilateral cooperation to maintain regional stability rather than being caught in great power rivalry.

Instead of fostering dialogue, U.S. actions have turned the Shangri-La Dialogue, a multilateral platform, into a stage for anti-China rhetoric. The divergence between China and the U.S. is shifting from issue-specific disputes to systemic confrontation, a trend that threatens to intensify the arms race in the region. U.S. pressure on allies to increase military spending could further exacerbate the regional security dilemma. Moreover, U.S.-led exclusive security arrangements, such as the Quad and AUKUS, are structurally at odds with ASEAN’s inclusive multilateral framework. This conflict not only challenges ASEAN’s autonomy but also places regional countries in a difficult position when navigating their security partnerships.

A Joint Agenda: U.S. and Philippines Pose the Greatest Threat to Peace in the South China Sea

Recent joint military drills, patrols, and coordinated actions between the coast guards and navies of the U.S. and the Philippines, along with the Philippines’ provocative attempts near Tiexian Jiao and Xianbin Jiao, and the so-called “civilian” supply missions staged as political stunts, all point to a concerted effort by the two countries to escalate tensions in the South China Sea.

Through diplomatic, military, and media coordination, the two sides are crafting narratives, creating hype, and building personas to stir up the maritime situation. These developments show that the Philippines, emboldened by U.S. backing, continues to provoke China through various means, actions that only complicate maritime disputes further and do nothing to resolve the issues at hand. Although Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro delivered an impassioned speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, one should not overlook the growing public discontent at home, as protests against U.S.-Philippine military exercises have been repeatedly staged by Filipino citizens.

At its core, the South China Sea issue concerns disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, not a confrontation between China and ASEAN. China has consistently advocated for resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation and remains committed to regional peace and stability.

However, the Philippines, as a direct party to the dispute, has chosen to pursue unilateral gains through infringement, provocation, and deception, an approach that runs counter to the spirit of the DOC. Meanwhile, the U.S. is using the Philippines as a pawn to expand its military presence in the Asia-Pacific, hyping up the “China threat” narrative to sustain its regional hegemony. Such moves do nothing to ease tensions in the South China Sea and instead place regional peace at even greater risk.

The remarks made by the Philippines and the U.S. at the Shangri-La Dialogue are part of a broader effort to distort facts and isolate China through misleading narratives. However, Philippine provocations and U.S. hegemonic ambitions cannot be obscured. Countries in the region should recognize the true nature of these actions and avoid being manipulated by external powers. Only through this clarity can the South China Sea avoid descending into bloc confrontation, and regional peace and stability be preserved.

(Author: Ding Duo, Special invited researcher of the CMG Expert Committee on South China Sea Studies, Director of the Center for the Area Studies, NISCSS)