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Speaking at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday, Zhang Chi, a member of China's National Defense University delegation, confronted Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro over what he called a contradiction between Manila's stated support for the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) and its actions in recent years.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had previously said that regional countries should continue efforts to conclude the COC, while the Philippines also claims to respect international law and favor the peaceful settlement of disputes, Zhang noted. He then asked how Manila could reconcile those positions with what he described as the dispatch of personnel to and occupation of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, actions Zhang said had violated the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Xinhua News Agency reported.

In response, Teodoro did not directly address the question. Instead, he launched into an emotional discussion of the COC at times appearing incoherent, before being interrupted by the moderator, per Xinhua. 

Global Times