The Sierra Madre, a dilapidated World War II-era ship stranded on a small reef in the South China Sea, has emerged as a potential flashpoint that could spark a regional war, with Chinese coast guards repeatedly swarming and ramming Philippine ships to prevent them from resupplying the vessel.
Beijing and Manila now have a tentative agreement to allow the Philippines to carry supplies on the ship, in the hope that it will bring an end to the recent escalation of tensions in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
The escalating territorial dispute threatened to draw the United States, the Philippines’ security ally, into a new global conflict.
“Both sides remain aware of the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage their differences through peaceful means,” the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.
China’s foreign minister confirmed that the two countries had reached an “interim agreement on the transportation of humanitarian aid” and agreed to “jointly manage maritime differences and promote calm in the South China Sea.”
The territorial dispute revolves around China’s claims to much of the South China Sea, which are rejected by neighbours, and which have led to Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, asserting their own economic and maritime interests.
How does Beijing view the conflict?
