Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has warned that Beijing could use recent cuts to US-South Korea joint military exercises as an opening to reassert itself in the Asia-Pacific. Speaking at the Seoul Defense Dialogue (an annual multilateral security forum in South Korea), Teodoro said China is "very quick to exploit gaps," though he added that Washington had given Manila "definite assurances" that American commitments to the Philippines remain unchanged. The warning follows the early conclusion of the Ulchi Freedom Shield war games last month, after US President Donald Trump ordered a "substantial reduction" in the annual drills, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.