The Philippines Abuses Chairmanship to Put up Obstacles to China's Participation in ADMM-Plus: Defense Spokesperson

BEIJING, Oct.29 -- "The Philippine side's willful acts to hijack ASEAN and stir up troubles would only undermine the credibility of ADMM-Plus, erode solidarity and mutual trust among ASEAN countries, and ultimately, impair the fundamental interests of the countries and peoples in the region, including the Philippines," said Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's defense ministry, at a regular press conference on Thursday. The spokesperson made the remarks while responding to media question about the absence of China's defense minister from this year's ADMM-Plus meeting in the Philippines. The spokesperson first confirmed that the ADMM-Plus is the highest-level and largest defense and security dialogue and cooperation mechanism in the Asia-Pacific. Established in 2010, it has served as an important platform for countries to build trust, strengthen cooperation, and uphold regional peace and stability. He then pointed out that as the rotating chair of this year's ADMM-Plus, the Philippine side has allowed a certain self-serving politician to act recklessly and abuse its chairmanship to put up obstacles to China's participation. The spokesperson seriously criticized such moves of the Philippine side, stating that they seriously violate ASEAN's principle of consensus through consultation and run counter to the open and inclusive spirit of the ADMM-Plus. "They do not conform to basic diplomatic protocols, and undermine China's legitimate rights as a member of the mechanism. Many ASEAN countries have raised questions and opposition over this," said the spokesperson. "Against such a backdrop, the Chinese side still decided to send representatives to attend the meeting, which demonstrates China's firm support to ASEAN centrality and responsible attitude towards regional defense and security cooperation," added the spokesperson.