Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued on Thursday that Manila’s Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, as well as his wife and children, are now banned from entering the country, including Hong Kong and Macau.It said Teodoro had “repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning China”, which had undermined China’s legitimate interests and bilateral ties. It added that “organisations and individuals in China” will not be permitted to “engage in any transaction, cooperation or other activities with him and his spouse and child”.
The ban marks another escalation in long-running tensions between the two countries over the South China Sea. Half a dozen countries, including the Philippines, lay claim to different parts of the sea, but Beijing insists that it holds sovereignty over almost all of its waters.