China says Philippine politician imposed ‘obstacles’ to its participation at ASEAN defence meeting

BEIJING/CEBU, Oct 29 (Reuters) – China’s defence ministry said on Thursday that a politician from the Philippines had “imposed obstacles to China’s participation” at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Cebu this week, as ties between the two countries continue to deteriorate.

Spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang, speaking at a press conference, said that the actions of the “self-serving” politician ran counter to the open and inclusive spirit of the meeting, violated diplomatic norms and undermined China’s rights.

The ministry did not name the politician and it was unclear what obstacles Zhang was referring to. China was represented at the meeting by a military attache in the absence of Defence Minister Dong Jun, who was likely attending a key Chinese Communist Party meeting in Beijing this week.

Relations between Beijing and Manila have soured amid repeated confrontations in the disputed South China Sea and more recently Chinese sanctions imposed on the Philippine defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea via a nine-dash line on its maps that cuts into parts of the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia.

Later on Thursday, Teodoro told a press conference that it was for ASEAN itself to determine how China would be heard.

He did not directly address the Chinese allegation of obstruction. The Philippines has said its defence ministry sent notice to its Chinese counterpart with an invitation to join the forum.

(Reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing; additional reporting from Mikhail Flores in Cebu, Writing by Andrew Silver in Beijing; Editing by Liz Lee, Jacqueline Wong and Ros Russell)