Teodoro Challenges China on 'One China' Policy

Close bilateral ties are further evidenced by over 200,000 Filipinos currently working in Taiwan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian criticized Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party's efforts as a 'diplomatic breakthrough', objecting to the proposed office on September 16.

Beijing insists that nations with diplomatic ties to China must respect the 'One China' principle, which opposes any official interactions between Taipei and countries that recognize Beijing.

This approach allows for practical cooperation with Taiwan, which Manila views as separate from formal diplomatic recognition.

On September 17, China launched a Long March 12 rocket from Hainan, with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) confirming that the expected debris drop zone fell within Philippine archipelagic waters.

Debris was projected to land approximately 25 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa in Palawan and about 19 nautical miles from the Tubbataha Reefs National Park, with local reports citing loud explosions and visible trails. PhilSA issued warnings against retrieving any debris due to potential hazardous rocket fuel residue.

Previous incidents, such as a January 2026 launch, also projected debris near Palawan and Tobata, prompting Manila to warn of dangers to vessels, aircraft, and hazardous material risks posed by falling rocket debris.

Beijing officially rejects the 2016 arbitral award, asserting that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction and characterizing the award as illegal, null, and politically motivated.

The Philippines, however, maintains that the ruling serves as the central legal basis for its maritime rights under UNCLOS, with Defense Secretary Teodoro insisting that Beijing address the legal merits of the Philippine position rather than dismissing the award as a provocation.

The arbitration proceedings against China were initiated by the Philippines on January 22, 2013, under Annex 7 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The tribunal ultimately ruled that there was no legal basis for China's 'nine-dash line' claims to historic rights in the South China Sea, further confirmed by Article 9 of Annex 7, which states that a party's absence does not prevent legal proceedings.

Article 11 of Annex 7 explicitly dictates that an arbitral award is final and legally binding without appeal, requiring all parties to the dispute to comply with the decision.

The proposed representative office in Cebu has directly brought the Taiwan issue into the diplomatic relationship between China and the Philippines, highlighting how Manila differentiates between diplomatic recognition and practical economic cooperation.

China, conversely, frames Taiwan, South China Sea claims, and space launches as interconnected issues of sovereignty, leading to a complex web of disagreements with little room for immediate resolution, as both governments view these incidents as increasingly intertwined.

Chinese space launches have introduced another concern for Philippine authorities, with projected rocket debris falling within archipelagic waters presenting safety and jurisdictional issues. While none of these disagreements appear close to resolution, their increasing overlap, such as the Cebu office and the September 17 Long March 12th launch, brings the Taiwan issue and rocket debris scrutiny to the forefront alongside ongoing arguments over the 2016 arbitration.

For Beijing, developments involving Taiwan and the South China Sea continue to be treated as issues closely connected to Chinese sovereignty and territorial claims. Both governments are managing these disputes through diplomatic statements, legal positions, and government actions, but with Taiwan, Chinese space launches, and the South China Sea increasingly intertwined, each new incident is likely to draw close attention in Manila, Beijing, and across the wider region.