MANILA, Philippines (AP) — China and the Philippines have reached an agreement they hope will end their standoff. The most hotly contested shallows The Philippine government announced the military exercises in the South China Sea on Sunday.
The Philippines occupies Second Thomas Shoal, which is also claimed by China, escalating hostile clashes at sea that threaten to escalate into a larger conflict. US may be involved.
The key agreement was reached on Sunday. Series of meetings Philippine and Chinese diplomats in Manila exchanged diplomatic notes at the shoal, known by Filipinos as Ayungin and by Chinese as Ren’ai Reef, aimed at establishing a mutually acceptable arrangement without compromising either side’s territorial claims.
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 their 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.”
Neither side made the agreement public.
China Disputes with some governments China is in conflict 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 conflict while territorial disputes remain unresolved. But it remains to be seen whether the agreement can be successfully implemented and for how long it will last.
China Coast Guard and other forces They used powerful water cannons and dangerous sabotage methods. The operation was carried out aboard a long-stranded, rusting warship to deny food and other supplies to Philippine Navy personnel stationed at a shallow water outpost in Manila. BRP Sierra Madre.
Long-standing territorial disputes It has recurred repeatedly since last year..
In the worst conflicts, According to the Philippine government, on June 17, Chinese troops in motorboats repeatedly rammed and then boarded two Philippine naval vessels in an attempt to prevent Filipino personnel from transporting food, firearms and other supplies to a shipping base in shallow waters.
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, Philippines, VietnamMalaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are all embroiled in separate but increasingly tense territorial disputes over the waterway, which is seen as a potential flashpoint and a sensitive global fault line. US-China regional conflictFor decades, the U.S. military has supported freedom of navigation and Air PatrolChina opposes this and sees it as a threat to regional stability.
Washington does not claim the disputed waters but has issued repeated warnings. We have a duty to protect the Philippines.China will provide emergency assistance to the United States, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Philippine troops, ships or aircraft come under attack in the South China Sea or elsewhere.
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.
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.
