China is intensifying demands for the Philippines to surrender its sovereignty in the South China Sea, Manila's Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said after meeting with Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Canberra on Tuesday. This marks the fifth such meeting since August 2023, highlighting stronger security relations between the two nations, both alarmed by China's actions in disputed waters.
Teodoro described the Philippines as a "victim of Chinese aggression," particularly in areas such as the Scarborough Shoal. This year, China responded to Philippine laws aimed at asserting territorial claims by defining its own baselines around the shoal, a move Manila decried as a violation of its sovereignty.
Since China's 2012 seizure of the shoal, it has maintained a heavy presence there, often involving coastguard and militia vessels. The Philippines' defense strategy includes strengthening alliances with countries like Australia, investing in defense upgrades, and participating in joint military exercises.
In 2016, an international court ruled that China's claims in the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing refuses to accept. The Philippines plans to spend $33 billion on defense, including advanced jets and missiles, to safeguard its territorial rights.
Source: Reuters
