MANILA, Philippines — Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said China must do more to build trust before it can be considered an effective dialogue partner in settling maritime disputes.

Speaking at the 22nd Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend, Teodoro emphasized that meaningful dialogue “must be coupled with trust,” which he said remains lacking in China’s dealings.

“And China has a lot of trust-building to do to be an effective negotiating partner in dispute settlement. We have to call a spade a spade. And that’s what we see, and that is the biggest stumbling block to dispute resolution or dialogue with China,” Teodoro said in a video released by the DND on Tuesday.

Teodoro made the remarks in response to a question from a Chinese military official regarding the possibility of a “proxy war” in Asia, which he dismissed as “propaganda spiels.”

“Now, to our Chinese interlocutors, I shall address you collectively. And thank you for the propaganda spiels disguised as questions. Unfortunately, in my personal opinion, the fact that the question was asked in the way it does, engenders a deficit of trust in China’s words vis-a-vis its actions,” he added.

He also recalled China’s actions in 1995, when it constructed bamboo structures around Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) in the South China Sea, an area about 130 nautical miles from Palawan and part of the Kalayaan Island Group.

When the Philippines protested about these developments, China claimed that these were only “temporary havens” for its fishers, Teodoro said.

However, he said these were eventually turned into an “artificial military island” that is “heavily militarized.”

“China says that it has peaceful intentions. Why does it continue to deny the Philippines its rightful provenance under international law and UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)? And as proof of this, we do not stand alone. None have agreed with China, and none has condemned the Philippines for standing up against China in the face of a threat to its territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Teodoro said. (PNA)