China yet to confirm attendance at ASEAN defense talks

MACTAN, Cebu — China has yet to confirm whether it will send representatives to the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Department of National Defense (DND) said.

During a press briefing Tuesday, DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong was asked whether Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun would attend the regional gathering.

“What I know is that an invitation was extended, but as of this moment, we have no confirmation of their attendees,” Andolong said.

In September, the Philippine Navy invited a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy warship to participate in an ADMM-Plus maritime security exercise in the West Philippine Sea, but Beijing did not respond to the invitation.

The meetings, scheduled from 26 to 30 October, will bring together defense officials from ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners, with the main ministerial sessions set for 28 and 29 October at the Mactan Expo Center.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. will lead the Philippine delegation.

Andolong said discussions on the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea are expected to be part of the agenda.

“Secretary Teodoro has mentioned in his previous engagements that the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea are almost always a part of the discussions in the ADMM, so we don't think it will be any different at this time,” Andolong said.

He added that maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, counterterrorism, peacekeeping operations, military medicine, humanitarian mine action and cybersecurity are among the recurring areas of defense cooperation.

“It almost always has a place in our agenda. Counterterrorism is part of it. Peacekeeping operations. Military medicine. Humanitarian mine action. And, of course, cyber security,” he said.

Andolong said the proposed joint statements remain subject to finalization and consensus among participating countries, while working groups continue to discuss the meeting's agenda.