China says 'showing off military strength' not conducive for peace

ISTANBUL

China said Monday that “showing off military strength” is not conductive for peace in the region, a day after the Philippines and Canada signed a defense pact.

“China has always held the view that defense and security cooperation between countries should not target any third party or harm the interests of third parties,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference in Beijing.

“Showing off military strength and provoking confrontation are not conducive to regional peace and stability,” Mao added.

Her remarks came after Canada and the Philippines signed a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement on Sunday, allowing the two nations to deploy military personnel in each other’s territory and expand defense collaboration.

The agreement was signed following a meeting between Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty in the Philippine city of Makati.

It marked the fifth of its kind for the Philippines following the signing of such agreements with the US in 1998, Australia in 2007, Japan in 2024 and New Zealand in April 2025.

Teodoro said Sunday that Manila’s increasing defense partnerships with other countries “serves to put to light the true intentions of China,” according to the Philippine Star newspaper.

He accused China of “expanding their power across the world,” urging Beijing to "leave the West Philippine Sea -- that’s 800 kilometers (497 miles) away from them.”

Over the weekend, Teodoro met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Malaysia.

He expressed Manila's support for establishing the framework for the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Cooperation Council.

Tensions between China and the Philippines have intensified in recent months over the resource-rich South China Sea, where China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire sea.