China assails Teodoro for 'ignorance of history'

The Chinese Embassy in Manila has accused Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. of having an “ignorance of history” after he criticized Beijing’s recent World War II victory parade that was also joined by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

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In a strongly worded statement released Friday, the embassy’s spokesperson said Teodoro’s remarks on China’s domestic and foreign affairs “showed nothing but his arrogance, disrespect for truth and ignorance of history.”

The embassy said in a statement attributed to an unnamed spokesperson that it was not the first time the Philippines’ defense chief had made what it described as “anti-China remarks.”

What came before. The rebuke from the embassy comes after Teodoro last week questioned China’s call to “reframe” historical perspectives about World War II during its commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of the war.

Speaking to reporters in Baguio City after attending the Philippines’ own Victory Day rites on September 3, Teodoro said China’s approach risked whitewashing historical atrocities. He cited the deaths of millions under Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin as examples of how authoritarian leaders had used history for political ends.