China's aggressiveness in the Indo-Pacific is rooted in long-standing strategic ambitions independent of any U.S. policy, and the region's challenges stem from Beijing's own expansionist agenda, the Philippines' top defence official said on Wednesday.

The Philippines and China have had a series of run-ins and heated exchanges in the busy waterway of the South China Sea over the past two years, including an incident in June last year when a Philippine sailor lost a finger.

"The aggressiveness of China has been several years in the making," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in an interview at the Reuters NEXT Asia summit in Singapore.

"China's design for the region does not depend on any American leader," Teodoro said, replying to a query whether U.S. President Donald Trump's style and stance had served as a catalyst for China's actions.

"It depends on its own plan of action in the region, its own expansionist activities, its own need to control the area."

While acknowledging that U.S. policies influence regional dynamics, Teodoro said China's actions were "pre-determined" by its leadership, regardless of who was in power in Washington.

Despite rising tension in the major regional flashpoint of the South China Sea, Teodoro dismissed fears that conflict was on the horizon.

"The prospect of war is not imminent," he added. "I believe it is remote, but that would entirely depend upon the internal conditions of China."

China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Teodoro said Manila was focused on deterrence, backed by diplomacy.

"You can't have diplomacy without a credible deterrent force, and what we are doing is merely putting a stop, as best as we can, to the illegal incursions of China, which I do not think any country in the world supports," he said.

To boost its external defence capabilities, the Philippines is investing billions of dollars to modernise its military, and part of that plan is to acquire multi-role fighter jets.

While submarines were on the wishlist, Teodoro said they were not a priority at the moment, with the focus on weaponising and building infrastructure to maintain current platforms.

Teodoro rejected the notion that ASEAN had failed to respond to China's actions, given that the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc has been working on a code of conduct with Beijing to avert confrontations in the South China Sea.

"It is obvious that ASEAN countries are wary and worried about China's activities. If not, there would be no call for a code of conduct in the South China Sea.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be very concerned about what is happening."

Since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in 2022, Manila has grown increasingly vocal in its opposition to China's actions in the South China Sea, while significantly strengthening ties with traditional ally the United States, and like-minded partners, such as Australia and Japan.

Teodoro believed it would be difficult for any future leader to reverse current policy because it has strong public backing. Marcos' single-six year term ends in 2028.

"I feel that any leader in the future, in the face of what China is doing, and in the face of public opinion... and there is a distrust, not of China, but of the Chinese government in what they are doing. So it would be hard for any leader to reshape that narrative," he said.

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Philippines summons China's ambassador after Beijing sanctions critical former senator

China's ambassador to Manila was summoned after Beijing imposed sanctions on a former Filipino senator who has been critical of China’s aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea, Philippine officials said Tuesday.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last week that it was indefinitely prohibiting former Philippine senator Francis Tolentino from entering China and its territories of Hong Kong and Macao.

The ministry alluded to Tolentino as being among anti-China politicians who have resorted to “malicious words and deeds” that have harmed China’s interests and undermined China-Philippines relations.

"The Chinese government is determined to defend its national sovereignty, security and development interests,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Philippine officials said the barring of Tolentino was “inconsistent with the norms of mutual respect.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila summoned China's Ambassador Huang Xilian on Friday and conveyed to him its concern over China’s sanctions.

"While the imposition of such sanctions falls within China’s legal prerogative, the imposition of punitive measures against democratically elected officials for their official acts is inconsistent with the norms of mutual respect and dialogue that underpin relations between two equal sovereign states,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said in a statement.

"The department reminded the ambassador that, as a democracy, the Philippines values freedom of expression,” Lazaro said, adding that elected officials have a responsibility to inquire into issues concerning national and public interests.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila said Tuesday that imposing such sanctions falls "purely within China's legal prerogative and there are consequences for hurting China's interests.”

“Tolentino’s malicious smear against China and instigation of confrontation will only backfire and ultimately harm the interest of the Philippines and Filipino people,” the Chinese embassy said in a statement.

Tolentino, whose Senate term ended last month, authored two bills — the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act — that reaffirmed the extent of the offshore territories of the Philippines and right to resources, including in the South China Sea. He ran for reelection but lost.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the two bills in November, angering China which claims the hotly disputed waterway almost in its entirety.

Tolentino has also accused China of planning to interfere in the mid-term elections in May in the Philippines, and had launched an investigation into alleged Chinese espionage when he was still a senator.

Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval forces in the South China Sea have spiked in recent years, sparking concern that the United States — Manila’s longtime treaty ally — may get drawn in a major conflict.

Washington lays no claims in the busy waters, a key global trade route, but has warned that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

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Philippines plans to negotiate with US to lower tariffs, envoy to Washington says

The Philippines is planning to negotiate with Washington to lower tariffs after the United States moved to impose higher 20% duties on goods imported from Manila, its ambassador to the United States said on Thursday.

"We are still planning to negotiate that down," Jose Manuel Romualdez said in a phone message.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued August 1 tariff notices to several trading partners including the Philippines, which he slapped with a 20% duty, higher than the previously announced 17%.

Asked what rate the Philippines is looking at, he said: "Will see."

U.S. goods trade with the Philippines reached an estimated $23.5 billion in 2024, according to data from the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

U.S. exports to the Philippines stood at $9.3 billion, a 0.4% increase from 2023, while imports from the Philippines totalled $14.2 billion, up 6.9% year-over-year.

The resulting U.S. goods trade deficit with the Philippines widened to $4.9 billion in 2024, marking a 21.8% increase from the previous year.

There was no immediate comment from the office of the Philippine president.