Giving a candid view on the reliability of China, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has become a target of attacks by the usual mouthpieces and apologists funded by Beijing.

Trolling has become a vital weapon in a region where an expansionist strategy threatens the area and the world.

Teodoro cast doubt on the credibility of the Chinese and their commitment to a binding Code of Conduct (CoC) in the contested maritime areas.

The Philippines has been pushing for the CoC for at least 20 years as a solution to the frequent sea skirmishes caused by the basic differences in determining territorial boundaries.

The country subscribes to multilateral rules such as the Permanent Court of Arbitration award based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while Beijing would not have it any other way but under the arbitrary historically-based nine-dash line that it refuses to subject to any scrutiny.

With such a divergent view coupled with the obstinacy of the Asian giant, doubts have grown over China’s intention toward a regional code.

Teodoro merely voiced what has been borne out by experience as the CoC has failed to make any substantial progress due to China’s impossible demands.

“Right now, honestly speaking, I do not see that,” said Teodoro, referring to the sincerity of the Chinese.

Good faith is sorely lacking in the CoC talks as China’s demands have the ambivalent aim of honoring international commitments while recognizing its claim’s historical basis.

Southeast Asian leaders on Sunday called for a swift agreement on the CoC based on international law after confrontations have escalated in the strategic waterway through which $3 trillion in international trade passes annually.

China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

According to the megaphones, Teodoro’s remark echoed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s statement at the recent Asean Summit in Laos. Highlighted was the President’s statement urging member states “not to turn a blind eye to the aggressive, coercive and illegal actions of an external power.”

“The rhetoric does not help ease differences and cool down the situation. It could, however, have the opposite effect and further deteriorate political mutual trust between China and the Philippines and make people even more confused about the direction of the Philippines’ South China Sea policy,” Marcos said.

The view was backed by the assertion that Manila is the only Asean member that deliberately turns a blind eye to Washington’s manipulation.

China’s strategy is to make the Philippines the “outlier” in the bloc for doing the bidding of the United States.

“The Philippines is becoming isolated as other Asean members are very uncomfortable and unhappy with how it, under the current situation, is behaving regarding the South China Sea disputes,” according to the Chinese mouthpiece.

When it took up the CoC, the apologist’s argument became ludicrous.

“Manila mistakenly believes that China is creating obstacles to the CoC consultation. The Philippines should not disrupt the atmosphere of these consultations while claiming to help speed up the consultation process. Asean’s concern over recent maritime developments is understandable. All the parties are aware of the importance of crisis management through a CoC and the need to accelerate CoC consultations.”

It added: “The purpose of the CoC is not to impose a single solution on all parties related to the disputes, but rather to provide a crisis management approach to the complex disputes and increase the possibility that all participating countries’ demands are met.”

What China often refers to as the Philippines having repeatedly violated is the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC) which should be an interim document until the CoC is signed.

The lethargic negotiations over the CoC prove China is merely buying time and has no intention to submit to a multilateral convention.