“Both sides proceed to acknowledge the necessity to de-escalate the situation within the South China Sea and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. They also agree that the agreement won’t negatively affect either side’s positions within the South China Sea,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in an announcement in Manila.
China has land and maritime border disputes with several governments, a lot of them within the South China Sea, and the rare agreement with the Philippines may raise hopes that Beijing could strike similar arrangements with other rival countries to avoid clashes while thorny territorial issues remain unresolved. But questions remain about whether the agreement could possibly be successfully implemented and the way long it will last.
The Chinese Coast Guard and other forces used powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers to forestall food and other supplies from reaching the Philippine Navy stationed within the shallow waters of Manila.
A years-long territorial standoff on the shallows has escalated repeatedly since last yr between the Chinese Coast Guard, Navy and suspected militia vessels and Philippine Coast Guard-escorted navy boats that were transporting food, water and fresh Navy and Marine personnel to the outpost on the long-grounded and rusting warship BRP Sierra Madre.
In the heaviest clash, Chinese forces in motorboats repeatedly rammed after which boarded two Philippine navy vessels on June 17 to forestall Filipino personnel from delivering food and other supplies, including firearms, to the ship’s outpost on the reef’s shallows, in response to a Philippine government statement.
After repeatedly ramming the boats, the Chinese took over the Philippine navy boats and damaged them with machetes and improvised spears. They also seized seven M4 rifles that were packed in cases and other supplies. The violent confrontation left several Filipino sailors wounded, including one who lost his thumb, in a chaotic skirmish that was captured on video and photos that were later released by Philippine officials.
China and the Philippines blamed one another for the confrontation and every claimed sovereignty over the shoal, which the Filipinos call Ayungin and the Chinese Ren’ai Jiao.
The United States and its key Asian and Western allies, including Japan and Australia, have condemned China’s actions within the shoal and called for respect for the rule of law and freedom of navigation within the South China Sea, a key global trade route with wealthy fishing grounds and offshore gas deposits.
In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are embroiled in separate but increasingly tense territorial disputes within the waterway, which is seen as a possible flashpoint and delicate fault line within the U.S.-China regional rivalry. The U.S. military has for many years deployed naval ships and fighter jets on what it calls freedom of navigation and overflight patrols, which China opposes and sees as a threat to regional stability.
Washington doesn’t claim any territorial rights over the disputed waters but has repeatedly warned that it’s committed to defending the Philippines, its oldest ally in Asia, if Philippine forces, ships or aircraft are targeted by armed attack, including within the South China Sea.
One of the 2 Philippine officials said the June 17 confrontation prompted Beijing and Manila to speed up talks on an agreement that might prevent confrontations at Second Thomas Shoal.
During the ultimate 4 days of meetings, two Chinese demands that were major sticking points were faraway from the draft agreement.
China had earlier said it will allow food, water and other basic supplies to be shipped through the Philippines for its stranded forces if Manila agreed not to provide construction materials needed to strengthen the rickety ship and gave China notice and the precise to examine the ships for those materials, the officials said.
The Philippines rejected these conditions and the ultimate agreement doesn’t include them.
