- China and the Philippines have reached an agreement aimed at ending clashes in the South China Sea centered on the Second Thomas Sandbank, which is occupied by the Philippines and also claimed by China as its territory.
- Few details of the agreement have been made public.
- The unusual deal with the Philippines could raise hopes that similar agreements could ease China's territorial disputes with other governments, but the success of the deal remains to be seen.
China and the Philippines have reached an agreement that they hope will end clashes on the most disputed sandbank in the South China Sea, the Philippine government announced on Sunday.
The Philippines occupies Second Thomas Shoal, but China also claims it, and increasingly hostile clashes at sea have raised fears of larger conflicts that could involve the United States.
The crucial agreement was reached on Sunday after a series of meetings between Philippine and Chinese diplomats in Manila and exchanges of diplomatic notes aimed at establishing a mutually acceptable arrangement on the sandbar, which the Filipinos call Ayungin and the Chinese Ren'ai Jiao, without conceding either side's territorial claims.
SECRET HOSPITALS IN THE PHILIPPINES OFFER CRIMINALS SURGICAL MAKEOVERS TO EVADE POLICE: 'A WHOLE NEW PERSON'
Two Philippine officials with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, and the government later issued a brief statement announcing the agreement without providing details.
“Both sides continue to recognise the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation and agree that the agreement will not prejudice each other's positions in the South China Sea,” the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said.
China's Foreign Ministry announced shortly after midnight on Sunday that it had discussed with the Philippines “the management of the situation in Ren'ai Jiao and reached a provisional agreement with the Philippines on humanitarian resupply of essential items.”
The Philippine resupply ship Unaizah, on May 4 (center), is hit by two water cannons of the Chinese coast guard as it tried to enter the second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
Neither party published the text of the agreement.
China has disputes with several governments over land and maritime borders, many of them in the South China Sea. The unusual deal with the Philippines could raise hopes that Beijing can forge similar agreements with other countries to avoid clashes while thorny territorial issues remain unresolved. However, it remains to be seen whether the agreement can be successfully implemented and how long it will last.
The Chinese coast guard and other forces have used powerful water cannons and dangerous blockade maneuvers to prevent food and other supplies from reaching Philippine navy personnel at the Manila sandbar outpost aboard a rusting and long-stranded warship, the BRP Sierra Madre.
The years-long territorial dispute has flared up repeatedly since last year.
In the worst confrontation, Chinese forces in speedboats repeatedly rammed and then boarded two Philippine navy ships on June 17 to prevent Philippine personnel from transferring food and other supplies, including firearms, to the ship's outpost in the shallow waters of the sandbar, according to the Philippine government.
China's attacks on Philippine ships are meant to provoke the US and prepare for war against Taiwan, experts warn
The Chinese seized the Philippine navy ships and damaged them with machetes and improvised spears. They also seized seven M4 rifles, which were packed in boxes, and other supplies. The violent confrontation injured several Philippine navy personnel, including one who lost his thumb, in a chaotic skirmish that was captured on video and in photographs later released by Philippine officials.
China and the Philippines blamed each other for the standoff and each asserted its own sovereign rights over the bank.
The United States and its key Asian and Western allies, including Japan and Australia, condemned China's actions on the shoal and called for upholding the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, a key global trade route with rich fishing grounds and undersea gas deposits.
Besides China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are locked in separate but increasingly tense territorial disputes over the waterway, which is seen as a potential flashpoint and a delicate dividing line in the regional rivalry between the United States and China. The U.S. military has deployed warships and fighter jets for decades on what it calls freedom of navigation and overflight patrols, which China has opposed as a threat to regional stability.
Washington has no territorial claims in the disputed waters but has repeatedly warned it is obliged to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft come under armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
One of the two Philippine officials said the June 17 confrontation prompted Beijing and Manila to accelerate on-and-off talks on a deal that would prevent clashes at Second Thomas Shoal.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
During final meetings over the past four days, two Chinese demands that had been key sticking points were removed from the draft agreement.
China had previously said it would allow the Philippines to transport food, water and other basic supplies to its forces on the sandbar if Manila agreed not to carry construction materials to fortify the dilapidated ship and give China advance notice and the right to inspect ships for such materials, the officials said.
The Philippines rejected those conditions and the final agreement did not include them, according to Philippine officials.
