Beijing Tells Manila to ‘Stop Lying’ After Minister Exposes South China Sea Note

The latest escalation in the ongoing dispute over the South China Sea has all the hallmarks of a carefully calibrated Chinese bid to intimidate and discredit its Philippine counterparts. Last week, Filipino Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. publicly read out parts of a handwritten note from Beijing rejecting the 2016 arbitration ruling that denied most of China’s claims in the region.

The memo itself is hardly surprising – it has been Beijing’s stance all along that the award was “illegal and void.” What’s newsworthy here is not what’s written on the page, but rather who’s being forced to read from it. Teodoro’s act of defiance has left Beijing seething, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning calling for Manila to “stop this grandstanding and lying” and protect China-Philippine relations.

China has long used its economic influence and strategic depth in the region to bully smaller countries into submission – or at least into quiet acquiescence. By exposing what it perceives as Philippine duplicity, Beijing aims to erode Manila’s credibility among its allies and weaken its negotiating position.

The Philippines’ own approach to asserting its claims in the South China Sea is also under scrutiny. For too long, Manila has relied on a strategy of strategic ambiguity – neither fully backing down nor fully standing up to Beijing. This approach has allowed China to maintain a de facto stranglehold over the region’s resources and shipping lanes.

The Philippines now faces a critical decision: whether to continue playing by Beijing’s rules or finally assert its sovereignty with conviction. With the country’s economy still reeling from the pandemic, there’s never been a more pressing need for Manila to prioritize its own interests in the South China Sea.

The ongoing dispute is not simply a bilateral issue between Beijing and Manila – it’s also a test of regional order and stability. Southeast Asian countries must decide whether to stand idly by as China asserts its dominance or push back against Beijing’s expansionism.

In Seoul, where the incriminating note was first passed on to Teodoro, South Korean hosts were unimpressed by Beijing’s attempts at coercion. This is telling – for years now, Seoul has been walking a fine line between its loyalty to Washington and its own economic interests in China. As tensions rise in the region, some countries are beginning to reassess their relationships with Beijing.

For Manila, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Will it find the courage to stand up to China and protect its sovereignty, or will it continue down a path of appeasement? The South China Sea dispute simmers on, with only time – and Manila’s decision-making – holding the key to what happens next.