China’s ban on Philippine defence chief and family seen as warning shot to Manila
Analysts say Beijing may be trying to ‘kill the chicken to warn the monkeys’, as Manila faces calls for a tit-for-tat response
Analysts told This Week in Asia the unusual step of targeting a defence chief’s family might be a case of “killing the chicken to warn the monkeys” – meaning punishing one high-profile critic to deter others – while opening a debate over whether Manila should retaliate in kind.
Among those urging a reciprocal response was Antonio Carpio, a retired Supreme Court justice and influential voice on Philippine maritime rights, who said the Philippines should respond “tit-for-tat” by banning China’s defence minister and his family from entering the country to show it would not be intimidated.
Beijing, however, has framed the sanctions more narrowly as a response to Teodoro’s own remarks, rather than as a broader signal to Manila.
The foreign ministry said Teodoro had “repeatedly made erroneous remarks” against China, undermining Beijing’s legitimate interests and damaging bilateral relations.