BY REUTERS

BEIJING — China’s foreign ministry on Thursday announced sanctions against Defense Secretary ⁠Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and his relatives, claiming he had “repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning China” which undermined China’s “legitimate interests” and bilateral ties.

The sanctions mean Teodoro and his wife and child are prohibited from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, the ministry said in a statement, and that entities in China “are prohibited from engaging in any transactions, cooperation, or other activities with Teodoro and his spouse and child.”

The measures were imposed to “safeguard China’s national sovereignty, security, and development interests,” the ministry added, without specifying what remarks by Teodoro it particularly objected to.

Teodoro’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) called the decision of the Chinese government to impose sanctions on Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and his family “an unfriendly act.”

“While the imposition of sanctions is China’s sovereign prerogative, the Philippines views it as an unfriendly act that further complicates the bilateral relations,” the DFA said.

“Such measures do not contribute to building mutual trust, managing differences responsibly, or creating the conditions necessary for constructive engagement between our two countries,” it added.

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense forum, last month, Teodoro said the Philippines remains under “severe threat” from China both territory-wise and politically, despite a recent thaw in US-China tensions following the summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping earlier this month.

“For countries like the Philippines, though, which is under severe threat territory-wise and politically too by China, we have no choice but really to be resilient and to stand up against Chinese aggression,” he said.

After these remarks, Beijing last week accused Teodoro of having ​no gratitude for China’s supply of important commodities and of using issues about people’s wellbeing for political ​showmanship.

After unconfirmed reports had surfaced last week about a China entry ban, he was quoted saying, “I have no assets in China and I have no plans to go there.

“Even if I wanted to visit because the food is good and the people are kind, that is overshadowed by the kind of government they have.”

The Philippines and China have engaged in repeated maritime standoffs in the South China Sea in recent years, as Beijing continues to press expansive claims—largely discredited by a 2016 arbitration ruling—over waters that overlap with rival claimants that also include Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Earlier this week, Manila took diplomatic action against Beijing for what it called the “illegal presence” of a floating structure at Bajo de Masinloc.