The Philippines’ defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Saturday that the country remains under “severe threat” from China, declaring that a recent thaw in U.S.-China relations following the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing has done nothing to ease tensions in the South China Sea.
Shangri-La Dialogue Sets the Stage
Teodoro made the remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s premier defense forum, where he also held a bilateral meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The annual conference, now in its 23rd edition, has drawn defense ministers, military chiefs, and diplomats from 44 countries amid rising concerns over China’s military buildup and questions about U.S. priorities in the region.
The Trump-Xi summit, held in mid-May in Beijing, produced a framework for deeper cooperation and delivered economic gains but yielded no major breakthroughs on security issues, according to the United Nations Secretary-General. Teodoro’s comments underscore that Manila views China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea as driven by Beijing’s own strategic ambitions rather than any external factor. Last year, he told Reuters that China’s expansionist agenda is “not contingent on any American leader”.
Vietnam’s Balancing Act
Vietnamese President To Lam, who delivered the keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday, warned that the world faces multiple crises including the erosion of international rules and a crisis of trust among nations. Lam called for reinforcing international law and initiating dialogue, while analysts noted his appearance highlighted Vietnam’s desire to be seen as a pragmatic, neutral partner.
Lam is set to visit the Philippines from May 31 to June 1 for a two-day state visit aimed at advancing trade, security, and maritime collaboration, according to Reuters. Vietnam has sought to balance closer ties with China — having issued a joint statement during Lam’s earlier visit to Beijing focused on strategic trust and resolving South China Sea disputes — while simultaneously standing up to Chinese maritime assertiveness, as Bloomberg ship-tracking data recently revealed.
U.S. Calls for Greater Allied Spending
Hegseth used his own address at the forum on Saturday to call on Asian allies to increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP, asserting that “no state, including China” should achieve uncontested dominance in the region. He praised allies for burden-sharing while sounding what Deutsche Welle described as an “alarm” over China’s military expansion.
The South China Sea remains contested by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, with more than $3 trillion in annual trade passing through its waters.