Things are getting tense between the Philippines and China. Recently, the Philippines' defense chief, Gilberto Teodoro, did something very unusual. He took a private note he received from China and read the whole thing out loud to a room full of people.

He wanted everyone to see how China is trying to handle their arguments. The note was handed to him while he was in the middle of giving a speech. By reading it, he was showing that he is not going to keep China’s messages a secret.

This comes at a time when both countries are fighting over the South China Sea. They have been arguing for a long time about who owns which parts of the water.

Teodoro also spoke about the United States. He warned that if the U.S. and South Korea start cutting back on their joint military training exercises, China might take advantage of that. He thinks that a weaker show of force from allies could encourage China to act more aggressively in the region.

Many see this move as the Philippines trying to show that they are not afraid to stand up to China. Some, like those in the U.S. media, think this is a clear example of how to talk tough when you feel bullied by a much larger country.

For now, both sides continue to trade heated words, and there is no sign that the argument over the South China Sea will end soon.

Source: The Washington Post