Philippine naval forces transported food and other supplies to hotly contested shallow waters in the South China Sea that are occupied and heavily guarded by Beijing’s military, but there were no reports of clashes, Philippine officials said Saturday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said in a statement that it was the Philippine government’s first supply trip to Second Thomas Shoal, the site of increasingly violent clashes between Chinese and Philippine forces since the Philippines and China agreed a week ago to prevent clashes.
China, Philippines announce agreement to end clashes in South China Sea
“Lawful and regular rotation and replenishment missions within the Philippine exclusive economic zone are thanks to the professionalism of the men and women of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard and the close coordination between the National Security Council, Department of National Defense and Department of Foreign Affairs,” the Philippine foreign affairs department said, without providing other details.
In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel sprays water on a Philippine Coast Guard vessel after it blocked its path during a resupply mission near Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, Aug. 5, 2023. (Philippine Coast Guard via The Associated Press, File)
A senior Philippine security official told The Associated Press that the Chinese and Philippine coast guards were in contact on Saturday to coordinate their actions, but ships from the two countries did not exchange two-way radio calls, as has been done in the past, demanding that each other’s ships leave the shallow waters immediately.
And for the first time in the shallows, China Coast Guard vessels did not pursue or harass Philippine ships, as they have done repeatedly in the past, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive issue.
China’s coast guard said the Philippine ship was transporting essential goods “in accordance with the interim arrangements agreed between China and the Philippines.”
“The China Coast Guard confirmed this and supervised and managed the entire process,” spokesman Gan Yu said in a statement posted online.
The agreement, reached between the Philippines and China after a series of talks between their diplomats in Manila and an exchange of diplomatic notes, was aimed at establishing a mutually acceptable arrangement without compromising either side’s claims on the shoal, known by the Filipinos as Ayungin and the Chinese as Ren’ai Reef, according to Philippine officials.
The deal has not been publicly announced by either side.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the news that the resupply mission had been completed without conflict.
“We commend that and we hope and expect that to continue,” said Blinken, who was in Laos to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines.
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.
According to the Philippine government, the worst clash occurred on June 17, when Chinese troops in motorboats repeatedly rammed and boarded two Philippine Navy boats, preventing Filipinos from transferring food and other supplies, including firearms, to a shallow-water barracks. Chinese forces seized the Philippine Navy boats and destroyed them with machetes and improvised spears. They also seized seven M4 rifles packed in cases and other supplies. 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.
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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.
