At the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday, Zhang Chi, a member of the Chinese People's Liberation Army expert delegation, confronted Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro over what he called a contradiction between Manila's stated support for the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and its actions in recent years.

Teodoro did not directly respond to the question. China Media Group reporters asked the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs whether the defense secretary's view represents the official stance of the Philippine government, and whether it would affect the progress of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea negotiations. No response has been received so far.