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MANILA — Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Friday said he believes Beijing is "converting the South China Sea into a lake of China" by strategically deploying its coast guard, not its military vessels, in the disputed waterway.

• Brawner confirms discussing West PH Sea issues with Chinese envoy

"That is why it is using coast guard vessels which are huge and massive equivalent to naval vessel—to enforce domestic and criminal Chinese laws in the whole of South China Sea," Teodoro told ANC's Headstart.

"This is part of their illegal narratives [to] pound into submission other countries to acquiesce into their definition of what international law with respect to the law of the sea is," the Philippine defense chief added.

China has long been insisting that it owns virtually the whole of the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea. It also does not recognize the 2016 arbitral award by a UN-backed court invalidating its 9-dash nine claim.

US SUPPORT

Teodoro underscored the importance of the Philippines' relationship with the United States as tensions in the waterway escalate.

"[US support] translates to several things, more importantly our concrete iterations of helping us in our capability upgrades so we have more robust defense system to be able to enforce our territorial jurisdiction and sovereignty," he said.

China on Wednesday lashed out at the United States and accused it of preserving its own "selfish geopolitical interests" in the disputed waterway.

• China blasts US for backing PH in sea dispute

This, after the US State Department on Sunday called on China to halt its "dangerous and destabilizing" actions in the West Philippine Sea following a fresh confrontation between Manila and Beijing vessels in Bajo de Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal.

• PCG: Tensions could escalate if military ships sent to West Philippine Sea
• Philippines summons Chinese envoy over sea confrontations

Teodoro admitted that the Philippines could only do so much as China swarms its waters, a move he described as a "roguish behavior."

"[We can] show the world and pressure China into behaving as a responsible citizen of the world," he said.