China Bars Philippines Defense Chief from Entering Country
China has imposed an entry ban on Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and his family, and prohibited Chinese entities from doing business with him, escalating tensions over the South China Sea.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, along with his wife and children, are now barred from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau. The ban also extends to any transactions, cooperation, or other activities that Chinese individuals and organizations might engage in with Teodoro and his family.
The ministry's statement said Teodoro's rhetoric "undermines China's legitimate interests and sabotages China-Philippines relations," without specifying which remarks it was referring to. The move is another escalation in long-running tensions between the two countries over the South China Sea. Half a dozen countries, including the Philippines, lay claim to different parts of the sea, but Beijing insists it holds sovereignty over almost all of its waters.
After unconfirmed reports surfaced last week about a possible entry ban, Teodoro said he has no assets in China and no plans to go there. "Even if I wanted to visit, because the food is good and the people are kind, that is overshadowed by the kind of government they have," he added, according to local media ABS-CBN.
China regularly deploys navy and coast guard vessels in the strategic waterway to prevent the Philippines from accessing important reefs and islands. Coast guard, military and civilian boats from both countries have regularly clashed. At a summit in Singapore last month, Teodoro criticized Beijing's activities in the disputed waters, saying Manila "will not sacrifice our territorial integrity and sovereignty."
Asked about Teodoro's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said he "is known to vilify China" and that "all he cares about is selfish personal gains, to the point that he would perform political theatrics even when people's well-being is at stake."
