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The Philippines announced it has reached an understanding with China regarding resupply missions to the beached Filipino naval ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, a significant flashpoint in the South China Sea.
As reported by The Guardian, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed the “temporary arrangement,” with both sides agreeing to jointly manage maritime differences and reduce tensions in the disputed waters.
In 1999, Manila deliberately beached the Sierra Madre on Second Thomas Shoal to assert its claims over the surrounding waters. Since then, a small contingent of sailors aboard the ship has required regular resupply missions, which China has frequently attempted to block.
The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) did not detail the “provisional arrangement” agreed upon Sunday but noted it followed “frank and constructive discussions” earlier this month. The DFA emphasized that both nations continue to recognize the need to de-escalate tensions and manage differences through dialogue, without prejudicing each other's positions in the South China Sea.
China confirmed the arrangement but reiterated its demand that the Philippines tow away the ship and restore the original status of Second Thomas Shoal. However, it stated that, on humanitarian grounds, it would allow the Philippines to supply the ship's occupants if needed before the ship is removed.
On Monday, Philippine foreign ministry spokesperson Teresita Daza asserted Manila's rights and jurisdiction over its maritime zones, including Second Thomas Shoal. The ministry also denied Chinese suggestions that the agreement required prior notification and verification of deliveries to the Sierra Madre.
China maintained its territorial claims, warning against any attempt by the Philippines to build fixed facilities or permanent outposts on the ship.
Despite an offer of assistance from the United States, Philippine security officials confirmed they would handle the resupply missions independently. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan assured that the U.S. would support its treaty ally if necessary, but Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año stated the resupply would remain solely a Philippine operation.
Tensions in the South China Sea have escalated recently, with incidents of violence, including a Filipino soldier injured last month in a clash described by Manila as an "intentional high-speed ramming" by the China Coast Guard.
The Philippines and the U.S. are bound by the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which can be invoked in case of an armed attack against Philippine forces in the South China Sea. President Joe Biden has affirmed an “ironclad” commitment to aid the Philippines.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, overlapping with the maritime claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 2016, a Hague-based tribunal ruled that China’s claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.
[Information sourced from The Guardian]
