Philippines Defence Secretary Gilberto C Teodoro was speaking about maritime security challenges and the South China Sea at the Seoul Defence Dialogue when an unusual interruption drew his attention.
A man wearing a white sports coat approached Teodoro from behind and placed a piece of paper on the table next to him. Teodoro stopped speaking, picked up the note and started reading it.
The atmosphere changed when he realised that the message had come from China. "I have a note here, I think this is from China. And may I read it?" he said on Tuesday, in remarks that have since gone viral.
Teodoro read the message aloud. It stated that China's position on the South China Sea arbitration was "clear, consistent and firm" and claimed that the 2016 arbitration had violated "fundamental principles of international law".
The note appeared to reference the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration case filed by the Philippines against China under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The tribunal rejected China's broad claims of historic rights in the South China Sea, ruling that Beijing had no legal basis to claim resources within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. China has refused to accept the ruling and maintains that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction.
However, what initially appeared to be a deliberate attempt to interrupt Teodoro turned out to have resulted from a mix-up.
According to forum organisers, the note had been sent by a Chinese military attache from the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported. The attache gave the message to a forum staff member and asked for it to be delivered to Teodoro. The staff member reportedly assumed it was a communication from Teodoro's own delegation and handed it over while he was speaking.
TEODORO CRITICISES CHINA IN PUBLIC
After realising that the note contained China's position on the South China Sea dispute, Teodoro treated the interruption as an opportunity to challenge Beijing's stance before the international audience.
He questioned why the message had been handed to him during his speech and challenged the legal reasoning presented in it. "How can you deal with a country in an international forum – beyond the question asked me – disrespecting the organisers of this forum? How do you expect to deal with it civilly?" he asked.
Teodoro went on to accuse China of "coercion, bullying and aggression". He added that Beijing should perhaps focus on "basic decency and behaviour".
"If this is a Chinese position sent to me, it not only disrespects international law, throwing UNCLOS to the floor and trampling upon it, but it also disrespects the basic decency that should be accorded to our most gracious host, the Republic of Korea, and the rest of the audience here," he said.
Teodoro said he intended to retain the note as a "memento" of what he described as "how desperate China is and how ineffective its position is in the face of a free audience".
Addressing the individual who delivered the note, he sarcastically remarked, "You've just done your country a great service. Thank you, and I hope you don't suffer in a gulag for it."
PHILIPPINES' STAND ON SOUTH CHINA SEA
Instead of allowing the incident to disrupt his speech, Teodoro used it to highlight the wider tensions between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea.
"I think it is well known to the public, to everyone here, about the Philippine situation where we face challenges daily from the People's Republic of China, which tries to occupy and illegally assert its presence over our territory and especially our exclusive economic zone," he said.
He added that the Philippines had been compelled to strengthen its defence partnerships and alliances in response to the challenges it faces.
"We live in a very interconnected world, and there is no right for any state of that matter to appropriate an international common for its exclusive use or right, contrary to what the international norms clearly state," Teodoro said.
The South China Sea continues to be a major flashpoint between the Philippines and China, with both countries regularly accusing each other of violating their rights in disputed waters. Manila has continued to cite the 2016 arbitration ruling in challenging Beijing's claims, while China maintains its rejection of the decision.
China later attempted to play down the incident, saying it was not aware of the specific circumstances. However, Beijing reiterated its position that its stance on the South China Sea arbitration case remained "clear and consistent".
"We advise some people in the Philippines to stop trying to stir up trouble, stop undermining bilateral ties and stability in the South China Sea," China's Foreign Ministry said, without directly naming Teodoro.
What was intended to communicate China's position instead provided Teodoro with an unexpected platform to publicly challenge Beijing. The brief note became the centre of a sharp exchange, with the Philippine defence chief making clear that Manila would not be intimidated by pressure, whether presented at the negotiating table or handed to him during a speech.
