Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (C) attends the plenary session of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on May 30, 2026 (Photo by JAM STA ROSA/AFP, Getty Images)
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According to Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro, the maritime conflict between China and the Philippines is becoming more intense.
The two countries are embroiled in a dispute over disputed territory in the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the sea, including areas that overlap with the exclusive economic zones of countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, and has strengthened its claims in recent years by constructing structures on some coasts.
Teodoro said in an interview with CNBC’s Sri Jegaraja on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that China “continues to act unabated and will not repent of its expansionism.” “We are facing a long battle.”
Teodoro continued: “This is our exclusive economic zone, and future Filipinos in our 7,600 populous islands that are exposed to the ravages of climate change need it.”
Teodoro noted that the Philippines is trying to resolve the issue through negotiations and has previously filed an arbitration case on the issue under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
When asked what success would look like in this area, Teodoro said it would be to prevent “further advances by China” and the construction of artificial islands in the region.
