China and Philippines dispute ASEAN forum participation

China accused the Philippines of obstructing its participation in the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus in Cebu, while Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro rejected Beijing’s characterization and said China had an opportunity to present its views. The dispute surfaced as the regional defence forum concluded on Thursday, October 29. China’s Defence Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang alleged that Philippine politicians had placed obstacles in the way of China’s participation and misused public office. Zhang said the actions ran counter to the meeting’s principles of openness and inclusiveness and undermined China’s rights as a dialogue partner. The ministry did not identify the politician or specify the actions it considered obstacles. The allegation was made as China sent an embassy defence attaché to the meeting rather than Defence Minister Dong Jun. The Philippines chaired this year’s meetings as part of its ASEAN chairmanship. Teodoro said China’s accusation represented Beijing’s position, not ASEAN’s. He said China was able to articulate its position on regional and maritime security during the meeting, and that ASEAN itself determines how dialogue partners...