MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines' Defense Minister said on Tuesday that China is the biggest disruptor of international peace in the region.
Manila was determined to defend its sovereignty, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told the annual military conference of the United States Indo-Pacific Command.
Teodoro urged allied countries to denounce China's “illegal actions” in the South China Sea.
Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam have competing claims for sovereignty over parts of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 billion in annual shipping trade. China rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that found Beijing's expansive claims to the South China Sea unfounded under international law.
