22-7-2024(MANILA) The Philippines and China have “reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement” for resupply missions to a beached naval ship in the contested waters, according to a statement issued by Manila’s Foreign Ministry on July 21.
The ministry’s announcement comes after “frank and constructive discussions” between the two sides at the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism earlier this month. However, the details of the arrangement for the Philippines’ resupply missions to the Sierra Madre on the Second Thomas Shoal have not been disclosed.
“Both sides continue to recognize the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation,” the ministry stated, adding that the agreement “will not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea.”
The Chinese Embassy in Manila has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
The Sierra Madre, a Philippine naval ship, was deliberately beached on the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 as a strategic move by Manila to reinforce its claims over the disputed waters. Since then, the Philippines has maintained a small contingent of sailors aboard the vessel, raising tensions with China, which claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea.
The announcement of the provisional arrangement comes amidst heightened tensions in the region, with a Filipino soldier losing a finger in June during a clash that Manila described as “intentional high-speed ramming” by the China Coast Guard.
While the United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, had offered to assist with the resupply missions, Filipino security officials stated on July 21 that Manila would carry out the operations independently. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had previously stated that the US “will do what is necessary” to ensure the Philippines can resupply the Sierra Madre.
However, Eduardo Ano, the Filipino counterpart to Sullivan, clarified that “there is no need at this time for any direct involvement of US forces in (the resupply) mission,” emphasizing that it would remain “a pure Philippine operation.”
The Philippine military’s spokesperson echoed this sentiment, stating that the country “will exhaust all means before seeking foreign intervention” in its resupply missions.
The 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between Manila and Washington allows for the possibility of invoking the pact in case of an armed attack against Philippine forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea. US officials, including President Joe Biden, have affirmed their “ironclad” commitment to aiding the Philippines.
The South China Sea dispute has been a longstanding source of regional tensions, with China’s sweeping claims overlapping with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 2016, a Hague-based tribunal ruled that China’s claims had no legal basis, a decision that Beijing has rejected.
