MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines and China have “reached an agreement on interim arrangements” for resupply operations for a stranded Philippine navy vessel in the South China Sea, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) did not disclose details of the arrangements for the Philippine resupply mission to Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal.
However, it said the move was the result of “frank and constructive discussions” between the two sides during a bilateral consultation mechanism earlier this month.
“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 the agreement will not undermine each other’s positions in the South China Sea,” the ministry said.
China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed an “interim arrangement” in which the two countries agreed to jointly manage disputes over maritime issues and de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea.
“The Chinese side still demands that the Philippine side tow the vessel away and return (Second Thomas Shoal) to its original state, uninhabited and without facilities,” the spokesman said in a statement early Monday.
Manila deliberately grounded a Philippine naval vessel in 1999 to shore up its claims to the disputed waters around the reef, and has continued to send small numbers of sailors there ever since.
“If the Philippines needs to provide supplies to the crew of the stranded warship before towing it away, the Chinese side is ready to allow the Philippine side to transport and provide supplies on humanitarian grounds,” the spokesman said.
China continues to maintain its sovereignty claims over the disputed waters.
“If the Philippines attempts to bring large amounts of building materials on the ship to build fixed facilities and permanent bases, China will never accept it and will resolutely block it in accordance with laws and regulations to safeguard China’s sovereignty,” the spokesman added.
Philippines-only operations
Philippine security officials also said Sunday that they would carry out the resupply mission on their own, despite offers of help from the United States.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday that the U.S. will “do what’s necessary” to help treaty allies resupply the Sierra Madre River at Second Thomas Shoal.
Sullivan’s Philippine counterpart, Eduardo Ano, said the resupply would remain a “purely Philippine activity.”
“At this time, there is no need for U.S. forces to be directly involved in the RORE (resupply) mission,” Ano said in a statement.
Reuters previously reported that the Philippines had rejected a US offer to assist with operations in the South China Sea.
Tensions in the disputed waterway have escalated into violence over the past year, with a Philippine soldier last month losing a finger in what Manila described as a “deliberate high-speed collision” by the Chinese Coast Guard.
In a separate statement on Sunday, Philippine military spokesman Abiy Gupta said the Philippines would “exhaust all options before seeking foreign intervention” in the resupply mission.
Manila and Washington are bound by a 1951 mutual defense treaty that can be invoked if Philippine military forces, public vessels or aircraft come under armed attack in the South China Sea. U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden, have vowed to the U.S.’s “resolute” commitment to support the Philippines.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping with maritime claims held by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. In 2016, a Hague-based arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s claims had no legal basis, a ruling rejected by Beijing.
