- China and the Philippines have reached an agreement aimed at ending a standoff in the South China Sea over the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Reef, which China also claims as its territory.
- Few details of the deal have been made public.
- The unusual agreement with the Philippines may raise hopes that similar arrangements might defuse territorial disputes between China and other governments, but the success of the agreement remains to be seen.
The Philippine government announced Sunday that China and the Philippines have reached an agreement that it hopes will end a standoff in the most hotly contested shallow waters in the South China Sea.
Second Thomas Shoal is occupied by the Philippines but also claimed by China, spurring an escalation of hostile clashes at sea and raising fears of a larger conflict that could involve the United States.
The landmark agreement was reached on Sunday after Philippine and Chinese diplomats met several times in Manila and exchanged diplomatic notes aimed at establishing a mutually acceptable arrangement without compromising either side’s territorial claims over the shoal that the Filipinos call Ayungin and the Chinese call Ren’ai Reef.
Secret Philippine hospital offers criminals surgical makeovers to evade police: ‘turn them into whole new people’
Two Philippine officials with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, and the government later released a brief statement announcing the agreement without providing further 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 any agreement will not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea,” Manila’s foreign affairs department said.
China’s Foreign Ministry said after midnight on Sunday that it had “consulted with the Philippines on managing the situation in Renaijiao and reached a tentative agreement with the Philippines on humanitarian supplies of daily necessities.”
On March 5, 2024, the Philippine supply ship Unayzah May 4 (center) was hit by two water cannons from the China Coast Guard as it attempted to enter Second Thomas Reef in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
Neither side made the agreement public.
China has disputes with several governments over land and maritime borders, particularly in the South China Sea. The rare agreement with the Philippines may stoke hopes that China could strike similar deals with other countries to avoid clashes while territorial claims remain unresolved. But it remains to be seen whether the agreements can be successfully implemented and for how long they will last.
China’s coast guard and other forces are using powerful water cannons and dangerous interdiction maneuvers to prevent food and other supplies from reaching Philippine navy personnel stationed in Manila’s shallow waters aboard the long-stranded, rusting warship BRP Sierra Madre.
The long-running territorial dispute has repeatedly flared up since last year.
In the worst clash, Chinese troops in motorboats repeatedly rammed and boarded two Philippine navy vessels on June 17, preventing Filipinos from transferring supplies including food and guns to a shipping base in shallow waters, according to the Philippine government.
Experts warn China’s attack on Philippine ship was intended to provoke US, prepare for war with Taiwan
Chinese forces seized the Philippine Navy vessel and destroyed it with machetes and makeshift spears. They also seized seven cases of M4 rifles and other materials. Several Philippine Navy personnel were injured in the violent clash, including one who lost a thumb. The chaotic skirmish was captured on video and photographs that were later released by Philippine authorities.
China and the Philippines have blamed each other for the conflict, with each claiming sovereign rights over the shoal.
The United States and key Asian and Western allies, including Japan and Australia, have condemned China’s actions at the reef and called for the rule of law and freedom of navigation to be upheld in the South China Sea, a vital global trade route with rich fishing grounds and offshore gas fields.
In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have their own territorial claims in the area, raising tensions. The area is seen as a potential flashpoint and a sensitive area in the regional conflict between the U.S. and China. For decades, the U.S. military has sent naval vessels and fighter jets to the area on what it calls freedom of navigation and overflight patrols, but China objects and sees it as a threat to regional stability.
Washington does not claim any territory in the disputed waters but has repeatedly warned it has a duty to defend the Philippines, Asia’s oldest treaty ally, if its troops, ships or aircraft come under attack, including in the South China Sea.
One of two Philippine officials said the June 17 clash prompted Beijing and Manila to fast-track on-and-off talks on arrangements to prevent further clashes at Second Thomas Shoal.
Click here to get the FOX News app
At the final meeting over the past four days, two of China’s demands, which had been major points of contention, were removed from the draft agreement.
China had previously said it would allow the Philippines to transport food, water and other basic supplies to Chinese forces in shallow waters if the Philippines agreed not to bring in materials to shore up the crumbling ship and to give China advance notice and the right to inspect the vessel for supplies, the official said.
Philippine officials said the Philippines rejected those conditions and they were not included in the final agreement.
