"For example, we have defense alliances with the U.S. that predate ASEAN, and we continue to build alliances with like-minded nations," Teodoro said at a forum, noting that "other ASEAN countries have formed alliances with China."
The defense chief also called for ASEAN to acknowledge that China is "crossing the line" in the South China Sea, where Beijing claims about 90 percent of the waters within its nine-dash line. He emphasized that establishing ASEAN principles and responses to China's illegal maritime expansion would be "a very good first step and something we should work on."