Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro on Friday said China is attempting to convert the entire China sea into its own lake. To back his statement, Teodoro noted China’s use of massive coast guard vessels while navigating Philippine waters is a testament to its attempt to enforce domestic presence in the whole South China Sea. “China is trying to [unilaterally change] the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and international law by letting other countries submit [to] the unilateral claim of the whole South China Sea as its internal waters,” said Teodoro in an interview over ANC.

Abarca, C. (2023, December 16 - 17). China converting South China Sea into a ‘lake of China’ – Teodoro. Panay News, pp. 4, 15.