MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine government officials distributed food and other supplies to Heavily contested shallows It is occupied by Philippine Navy troops but is heavily guarded by Beijing’s military. South China Sea Philippine officials said no clashes had been reported.
This was the Philippine government’s first resupply trip to Second Thomas Shoal, the site of increasingly violent clashes between Chinese and Philippine forces since the 1960s. Philippines and China reach agreement The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said in a statement that it had been closed a week ago to prevent clashes.
“Lawful and regular rotation and replenishment missions within the Philippine exclusive economic zone are thanks to the professionalism of the men and women of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard and the close coordination between the National Security Council, Department of National Defense and Department of Foreign Affairs,” the Philippine foreign affairs department said, without providing other details.
A senior Philippine security official told The Associated Press that the Chinese and Philippine coast guards were in contact on Saturday to coordinate their actions, but ships from the two countries did not exchange two-way radio calls, as has been done in the past, demanding that each other’s ships leave the shallow waters immediately.
And for the first time in the shallows, China Coast Guard vessels did not pursue or harass Philippine ships, as they have done repeatedly in the past, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive issue.
China’s coast guard said the Philippine ship was transporting essential goods “in accordance with the interim arrangements agreed between China and the Philippines.”
“The China Coast Guard confirmed this and supervised and managed the entire process,” spokesman Gan Yu said in a statement posted online.
The agreement, reached between the Philippines and China after a series of talks between their diplomats in Manila and an exchange of diplomatic notes, was aimed at establishing a mutually acceptable arrangement without compromising either side’s claims on the shoal, known by the Filipinos as Ayungin and the Chinese as Ren’ai Reef, according to Philippine officials.
The deal has not been publicly announced by either side.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the news that the resupply mission had been completed without conflict.
“We commend that and we hope and expect that to continue,” said Blinken, who is visiting Laos. Foreign Ministers’ Meeting A member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines.
China’s Coast Guard and other forces Uses a powerful water cannon They then conducted a dangerous act of sabotage aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a long-stranded and rusting warship, to prevent food and other supplies from reaching Philippine Navy personnel at their shallow-water outpost in Manila.
In the worst clashes, Chinese troops in motorboats repeatedly rammed and boarded two Philippine Navy vessels on June 17, preventing Philippine personnel from transporting food and other supplies, including firearms, to a shallow-water boat base, according to the Philippine government. Chinese forces seized and destroyed the Philippine Navy vessels with machetes and improvised spears. Seven M4 rifles seizedand other supplies packed in cases. The violent clash left several Philippine Navy personnel injured, 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 and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have their own territorial claims in the area, raising tensions. The area is seen as a potential flashpoint and a sensitive area in the regional conflict between the U.S. and China. For decades, the U.S. military has sent naval vessels and fighter jets to the area on what it calls freedom of navigation and overflight patrols, but China objects and sees it as a threat to regional stability.
Washington does not claim the disputed waters, but has repeatedly Warns of obligation to protect the PhilippinesChina 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.
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Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing and diplomatic reporter Matthew Li in Vientiane, Laos, contributed.
