Philippines says China is 'biggest disruptor' of peace in the region

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' Defence Minister said on Tuesday that China is the biggest disruptor of international peace in the region.

Manila was serious about protecting its sovereignty, Philippines Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told an annual military conference of the United States Indo-Pacific command.

Teodoro urged partner nations to call out China's "illegal actions" in the South China Sea.

Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam have competing claims of sovereignty in portions of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce. China rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that found Beijing's expansive claims over the South China Sea had no basis under international law.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores and Karen Lema; Editing by John Mair)