BEIJING: China is downgrading its participation at a key Asean defence meeting in the Philippines this week, following a deepening territorial dispute with the host nation.
Beijing will be represented by the defence attaché of the Chinese embassy to the Philippines at the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Cebu on October 29, according to an announcement by the People’s Liberation Army Tuesday (Oct 27). That marks a significant downgrade from last year, when China dispatched its Defence Minister Dong Jun to the event in Kuala Lumpur.
Relations are rapidly deteriorating between the Philippines and China, with both countries regularly asserting their territorial claims in the South China Sea. Their vessels have clashed in disputed waters, pushing the Philippines to bolster its military alliance with the US.
Last week, Manila said its top diplomat summoned China’s envoy to protest his remarks on the use of force in the contested area.
The absence of China’s defence minister in Cebu deprives the Trump administration of another chance to meet with Dong after he shunned the Shangri-La Dialogue in May.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to the Philippines for the talks, the US announced Tuesday. Dong met with Hegseth in Malaysia last year. - Bloomberg
