Manila, June 2 -- Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said nations must try to beef up cross-regional security cooperation, counter unilateral attempts to undermine the prevailing global order, and rebuild trust in multilateralism amid "interlocking dynamics that transcend regional boundaries".

Teodoro made this appeal during the plenary session on cross-regional security interlinkages at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend, attended by defense, security leaders and experts.

Teodoro said among the effects of cross-regional trends on the security of the Philippines and the outlook of Southeast Asia is the strategic competition between the United States and China. He said it is increasingly...