Teodoro urges vigilance over PH-China cultural exchange

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday urged vigilance over the Philippines’ cultural exchange program with China following reports that Chinese language teachers in Manila were trained by a Chinese university that claimed Batanes belongs to China.

“The strongest evidence that there is a problem with this exchange is that it has produced the very institution that is spreading fake news,” Teodoro said Wednesday at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay.

The statement follows a report released Tuesday by SeaLight, a maritime transparency initiative, which said that China’s Jinan University — which previously asserted during a symposium that Batanes is part of China — is “the largest training destination for Chinese-language teachers” working in Chinese-Filipino schools.

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Teodoro also said that China-owned academic institutions and universities operating in the Philippines should be subject to greater scrutiny because of their potential national security risks.

He added that this does not mean he is opposed to cultural and academic exchanges with China, stressing that foreign institutions should first undergo proper assessment before the appropriate agencies make recommendations on exchange programs.

“This calls for vigilance. I’m not saying we should stop engaging with them. I’m only saying that when we do engage, we should be aware that there may be ulterior motives,” he added. /dl