Dealing With China: India Has Shown A Roadmap, Says Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro

As the Philippines faces growing pressure and bullying from China in the maritime domain, India’s experience of dealing with China serves as a reference point.

India’s strategic autonomy, defence readiness and determination to stand firm against the Chinese offers a roadmap for other countries facing similar challenges, says Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Speaking to BharatShakti Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale in Manila, he pointed to India’s growing indigenous defence capabilities and bid towards achieving self-reliance in defence. “India’s defence industry and self-reliance on defence industry founded on basic industry by the way has been an inspiration.”

While lauding India’s strategic autonomy, Teodoro attributed it to strength. “I believe India has always been blessed with the capacity to have more strategic autonomy because of its strength. And you can only afford to be neutral or have strategic autonomy if you can enforce it.”

He drew a parallel between India’s experience along its land border with China and the confrontations the Philippines’ faces at sea. While the domains are different, the challenges faced by India and the Philippines are similar.

The Philippines has seen increasing encounters involving its coast guard, navy and Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea. Teodoro said Manila had anticipated a stronger Chinese response after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr adopted a more assertive approach towards Philippine claims.

“We cannot allow China to legitimise the narrative by repetition,” he said, explaining Manila’s decision to maintain its presence at sea.

Teodoro also argued that India’s contribution to the Philippines should go beyond military hardware. India, he said, has developed an institutional body of knowledge on dealing with China.

“What India’s contribution to the Philippines should be is not strictly on the defence side, but in the other agencies of government side,” he said.

He described India’s approach as “practical yet principle based,” backed by strong defence capabilities.

For Manila, the lesson is therefore broader than military modernisation. It involves building domestic resilience, strengthening institutions, developing defence-industrial capacity and maintaining strategic choices through credible national power.

As China’s presence in the South China Sea grows, Teodoro sees greater scope for India-Philippines cooperation—not only in defence but also in sharing experience on how to understand and respond to China’s evolving strategy.