‘Because you lost’: Philippines defence chief fires back after China note lands mid-speech

A single sheet of paper handed to Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro during a defence forum in Seoul triggered a sharp public exchange over China's South China Sea claims.

Teodoro read parts of the note aloud before challenging Beijing's position on the 2016 arbitration ruling, although organisers later said the note reached him because of a mix-up by forum staff.

What happened at the Seoul forum?

Teodoro was speaking about maritime challenges and the South China Sea at the Seoul Defence Dialogue when a man approached from behind and placed a sheet of paper on the table in front of him.

Teodoro paused and asked whether the document had come from China. “I have a note here. I think this is from China. And may I read it?”

He then read portions of the document to the audience.

The note reportedly said China's position on the South China Sea arbitration was “clear, consistent and firm” and argued that the arbitration had violated fundamental principles of international law.

Teodoro interrupted the argument with a blunt response: “They have no position.”

What did China say in the note?

The document reportedly described the arbitration ruling as illegal, null and void and said it had no binding force.

China has consistently rejected the 2016 arbitration ruling and has argued that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction over the case.

The Philippines brought the arbitration proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, commonly known as UNCLOS.

Teodoro challenged the argument in the note, questioning how China's rejection of the arbitration could be reconciled with international law.

What was the 2016 arbitration ruling?

The South China Sea arbitration was brought by the Philippines against China under UNCLOS.

In 2016, the tribunal rejected China's broad claims to historic rights over resources within areas falling within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

China rejected the ruling and has maintained that it is not legally binding on Beijing.

The dispute remains one of the most significant sources of tension between China and the Philippines.

Teodoro turns the incident into a wider criticism

Teodoro used the unexpected note to criticise China's approach to dealing with the Philippines.

He questioned why the message had been delivered while he was addressing an international forum and argued that the move showed a lack of respect for the event's organisers and South Korea.

“How can you deal with a country in an international forum beyond the question asked to me disrespecting the organizers of this forum, how do you expect to deal with it civilly?”

He also accused China of disregarding international law and said Beijing should show greater “basic decency and behavior”.

At one point, Teodoro said he would keep the paper as a reminder of what he described as China's ineffective position.

Teodoro's comments on the South China Sea

The Philippine defence chief also reiterated Manila's concerns about China's activities in disputed waters.

He said the Philippines faced challenges from China on a daily basis and accused Beijing of attempting to assert its presence in areas that Manila considers part of its territory and exclusive economic zone.

The Philippines has strengthened defence partnerships and alliances as it seeks to respond to China's growing presence in the South China Sea.

Teodoro also stressed that no country should appropriate an international common for its exclusive use in a manner contrary to established international norms.

The surprising twist: it was reportedly a mix-up

What initially appeared to be a deliberate interruption was later explained differently by forum organisers.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the note had been sent by a Chinese military attaché at the Chinese Embassy in Seoul.

The attaché reportedly gave the document to a forum staff member and asked that it be passed to Teodoro.

The staff member apparently mistook the document for a message from Teodoro's own delegation and handed it to him while he was speaking.

That explanation changes the circumstances surrounding the dramatic exchange, although it does not alter the longstanding disagreement between Beijing and Manila over the South China Sea arbitration.

China later reiterated its established position on the arbitration dispute while criticising what it described as attempts to create tension.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said: “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.”

The ministry did not name Teodoro directly.

Why the exchange matters

The incident comes against the backdrop of a longstanding dispute between China and the Philippines over maritime rights in the South China Sea.

The 2016 arbitration ruling remains a central dividing line. Manila continues to invoke the ruling in challenging China's maritime claims, while Beijing rejects the tribunal's authority and the ruling itself.

The episode also highlights how quickly an apparently minor diplomatic interaction can become politically significant.

Although the delivery of the note was reportedly the result of a staff error rather than a deliberate attempt to interrupt Teodoro, his public response turned the document into an opportunity to restate the Philippines' position before an international defence audience.

For South Korea, which hosted the Seoul Defence Dialogue, the episode also demonstrated the sensitivity surrounding the South China Sea dispute and the wider strategic competition involving China and regional US allies and partners.