Beijing accuses Manila of obstructing participation at ASEAN defence meeting

The 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus concluded in Cebu, the Philippines, on Thursday, 29 October, following talks with eight partner countries, including the US, China, Japan and India. Tensions rose when China accused an unnamed, ‘self-serving’ Philippine politician of ‘imposing obstacles to China’s participation’ in the meetings. Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defence, told a press conference that these actions defied ASEAN’s values of inclusivity, diplomatic norms and China’s right to dialogue.

China was represented by a military attaché from its embassy in Manila in the absence of Defence Minister Dong Jun, who was expected to attend a Communist Party meeting in Beijing. In response, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro stated that this was ‘China’s position’ and that ASEAN did not share that view. He added: ‘They were given an opportunity to articulate their position, which is not any different from what they have been articulating before.’

The dispute comes amid growing tensions between the two countries over the South China Sea and follows China’s decision to sanction Teodoro. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including areas that overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia. A 2016 arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s historic rights claims within the nine-dash line had no legal basis under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a ruling Beijing rejected.

References:

Agence France-Presse. (2026, October 29). Beijing bickers over “obstacles” to Asean attendance. The Manila Times.https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/10/29/news/beijing-bickers-over-obstacles-to-asean-attendance/2457003

Flores, M., & Cash, J. (2026, October 29). Philippines-China tensions resurface at the close of ASEAN defence gathering. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-says-philippine-politician-imposed-obstacles-its-participation-asean-2026-10-29/