The Philippines is in for a ‘long-term struggle’ with China over territory, Manila’s defense secretary tells CNBC

The two countries have been locked in a struggle around some disputed territory in the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the sea, including areas that overlap with exclusive economic zones from countries like the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, and has been building out structures on some shoals in recent years to bolster its claims.

China “continues its acts unabated, and they’re unrepentant with their expansionism,” Teodoro said in an interview with CNBC’s Sri Jegarajah on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. “We are in for a long-term struggle.”

“It’s our exclusive economic zone,” Teodoro continued, “and future Filipinos need it in a 7,600-island archipelago with a big population which is subject to the ravages of climate change.”

Teodoro noted that the Philippines has tried to resolve the issue through negotiations, and previously filed an arbitration case on it under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

When asked what success would look like on that front, Teodoro said it “would be stopping China’s further advancement” and any construction of artificial islands in the area.