China "should behave properly", "prove sincerity" and stop illegal activities including intrusions and assertion of claims over the territories that do not belongs to them if they want the military-to-military communications with the Philippine to resume, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. told reporters in an online briefing on Wednesday.

"Well, it should behave properly and it should not claim areas where they do not claim. I mean, even ASEAN does not accept their nine-dash line. I mean, that nine-dash line is the biggest fiction and the biggest lie of China that has been thrown to our face," said Teodoro when asked what should China do for him to allow the resumption of military-to-military communication between the two countries.

"They must prove sincerity. I mean, all their actions now, from their messaging to the messaging of their assertion of undisputed sovereignty and jurisdiction over areas where they have no rights to do so, they must turn back from that because there is no basis whatsoever in international law and in UNCLOS. Thirdly, I mean, they must stop their predatory activities in the Pacific and in the West Philippines which is a threat to regional and global security. It is obviously a threat to regional security and several countries have voiced concern about this. I mean, it's all upon them," he added.

Teodoro stressed that he is convinced that his directive to suspend the military-to-military communication channels between China and Philippines three years ago is a right decision noting that China is just using communication for deception.

"I (am) on 100 percent legal footing here and moral footing and my decision to do so at least three years ago when I saw that they are not sincere in talking with us on a military level, its stands, and morally, legally and shall we say strategically convinced that is the right decision," he said.

"It is just their way to deceive (people) nothing happened in communications and the proper communications flow is through the Department of Foreign Affairs not with us. We don't have any joint operations with them. We don't have any alignment with them. Actually, they are adversarial to us, to our interests," He added.

Teodoro explained that the Philippine Coast Guard as civilian law enforcers should maintain open communications with China but for the armed forces he noted that it is not necessary because it confused the efforts in the West Philippine Sea and other areas in the country.

The defense chief also mentioned that he is also not open for the military exchange students with China as well as for volunteer teachers from Chinese institutions that might "perpetuate lies against the Philippines". Robina Asido/PHS