China has decided to send its defense attaché to the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in the Philippines on October 29, instead of its defense minister. Analysts suggest this move is a deliberate downgrade in response to ongoing territorial disputes with the host nation, the Philippines, in the South China Sea.
On October 27, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced via social media that the defense attaché from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines would represent China at the 13th ADMM-Plus, which will be held in Cebu.
The ministry stated, "We will exchange views on maintaining dialogue and negotiation with various countries to enhance mutual understanding and trust," reaffirming its support for ASEAN's central role in regional cooperation and its commitment to promoting defense and security dialogue to contribute to regional peace and stability. However, it did not provide specific reasons for the absence of the defense minister or the decision to send the attaché.
The ADMM-Plus is a multilateral security forum that includes ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners: South Korea, China, Japan, the United States, Russia, India, Australia, and New Zealand. This year's meeting is expected to feature in-person discussions between South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Previously, China sent Defense Minister Li Shangfu to the meetings in Vientiane, Laos, in 2024 and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last year. In 2023, a deputy chief of staff from the Central Military Commission attended at the rank of major general. The significant downgrade in representation from ministerial to attaché level at this multilateral security meeting is unusual.
This change is interpreted as a reflection of the strained relations between China and the Philippines, particularly following recent tensions over maritime jurisdiction in the Spratly Islands (known as Kalayaan in the Philippines, Truong Sa in Vietnam, and Nansha in China) and Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Dao in China, Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines). Analysts suggest that China is indirectly expressing its discomfort amid ongoing confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels.
Meanwhile, China has resumed joint anti-terrorism exercises with Indonesia for the first time in 14 years, marking a deepening of diplomatic and security cooperation between the two nations. This move is seen as a strategic effort by China to strengthen ties with Indonesia as a counterbalance to the Philippines in the South China Sea.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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