Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who has repeatedly made political stunts, again staged a spectacle out of a note at a forum in Seoul, using it to smear and attack China. 

According to Yonhap News Agency, Teodoro was speaking when he received a written note during a panel discussion at the Seoul Defense Dialogue on Tuesday. He read it aloud and claimed it came from "China." The note outlined China's position on the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling, which Teodoro called China's violation of UNCLOS and an act of "coercion, bullying and aggression."

When asked to comment, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged certain individual of the Philippine side to cut the provocations and theatrics, and stop undermining China-Philippines relations and stability in the South China Sea.

Mao made the comments at Wednesday's regular press conference, saying, "I'm not sure what exactly happened at the event, but China's position has always been clear on the so-called 'South China Sea arbitration.' The Philippines unilaterally initiated the case, which is a distortion and abuse of the UNCLOS dispute settlement mechanism. It is the Philippine side who has violated UNCLOS and undermined its integrity and authority."

According to the video, at the event, Teodoro theatrically read the note aloud, attempting to deny China's position, and launched attacks against China.

Dai Fan, director of the Center for Philippine Studies at Jinan University, told the Global Times that Teodoro's rhetoric has obvious flaws and runs counter to basic diplomatic etiquette. 

First, he brought a sovereignty dispute that should be addressed through bilateral negotiations to a third-party forum to stir up emotions; second, he substituted personal mockery for policy debate, which is unbecoming of diplomatic etiquette; third, he portrayed a note reiterating China's official position as "pressure" exerted at the venue, which itself is a form of information warfare.

The Korea Herald also noted on Tuesday that no senior Chinese official attended the event, and Yonhap News Agency reported that the note was handed to Teodoro by forum staff, rather than the Chinese officials.

It is worth noting that Teodoro has previously been placed on China's sanctions list over his erroneous remarks and actions concerning the South China Sea. 

"Let me stress that Teodoro is one of the most blatant among the handful of hostile actors toward China in the Philippines," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated in June.

In response to a separate query about Teodoro's remarks that continue to distort facts and smear China, Lin said they are pure political theatrics for selfish political gains. It is precisely the irresponsible and reckless provocations of a small handful of people like him that have aggravated China-Philippines disputes and soured bilateral relations, and will ultimately jeopardize the interests of the Philippines and its people, Lin said.

Dai noted that Teodoro's stunt over the written note at the Seoul Defense Dialogue should not be viewed in isolation, but rather against the broader backdrop of his series of political provocations involving maritime and China-related issues in recent years. 

"Over the past one to two years, Teodoro has repeatedly used the South China Sea issue to cultivate a political persona as a so-called 'guardian of Philippine national security,' continuously framing various China-Philippines affairs as security issues and deliberately magnifying differences between the two sides," Dai said.

As defense secretary, his remarks and actions should serve the Philippines' overall foreign policy, but some of his statements have even been out of step with those of the Philippine president and official positions, the expert noted.

In Dai's view, Teodoro's series of manipulations ostensibly claim to safeguard Philippine national interests, but are intertwined with personal political ambitions. He has sought to consolidate his personal political image and serve his own political goals by continuously hyping related issues. 

"From the latest controversy at the Seoul Defense Dialogue to previous incidents such as the arrest of Chinese workers, many of his actions have been highly performative, with a penchant for creating media sensations and seeking attention," he added.