ASEAN plus defense ministers gather in the Philippines - NHKニュース
ASEAN defense ministers from member states and partner countries gathered in the Philippines on Thursday. The meeting came amid tensions between the host nation and China.
The gathering in the central Philippines was one of a series of meetings. They have brought together representatives from ASEAN member states as well as eight partner countries, including Japan, the US and China.
Relations between the Philippines and China have been strained over the South China Sea, where the two have competing territorial claims.
In July, a Philippine soldier was injured after being struck with a stick by a member of the China Coast Guard.
Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have made appearances. However, China's defense minister was not present.
Instead, Beijing was represented by a military attache stationed in the Philippines.
A spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry on Thursday blamed the Philippine side, saying Manila had created numerous obstacles to prevent China from taking part.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro pushed back against the accusation.
He said: "Insofar as ASEAN is concerned, I do not believe our ASEAN member countries feel that way. If not, they would have let me know. So it is China's position; it is not ASEAN's position."
The exchange underscored the continued strain in relations between the two countries.
