MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippine foreign ministry on Sunday accused China of “misinterpreting” an agreement between the two countries that allows unhindered resupply of Philippine troops stationed on a stranded naval vessel in the South China Sea.
After repeated clashes at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, the two countries earlier this month reached a “provisional agreement” on resupply missions for troops stationed aboard Manila’s Sierra Madre, a naval vessel that was deliberately run aground in 1999 to enforce maritime interests.
Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Teresita Daza said Saturday that day’s replenishment mission was completed without incident as Chinese coast guard vessels maintained an “appropriate distance.”
But a Chinese diplomat said China’s coast guard had been notified ahead of the mission and “allowed the vessel to pass” after “on-site verification.”
Foreign Minister Daza said on Sunday it was “unfortunate” that China had “misunderstood” the resupply mission.
“Instead of acknowledging how the two countries could have managed their differences to avoid miscalculation and misunderstanding, the spokesperson chose to misrepresent what was agreed upon between the Philippines and China,” Daza said in a statement.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours.
Details of the agreement between China and the Philippines have not been made public, but both countries have said it aims to ease tensions in the waterway.
“It is clearly agreed that the agreement between the Philippines and China was concluded in good faith and will not prejudice the position of the nation,” Daza said.
“It is not helpful to continue to give a false impression of what was agreed and how it was implemented,” she added.
In a separate statement on Sunday, the Philippines’ South China Sea Task Force said the Philippine government had not sought Chinese permission to resupply its troops.
“No on-site inspection was conducted by the China Coast Guard,” the task force said.
Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and is claimed by China, lost a finger in a clash last month between the Chinese coast guard and the Philippine navy.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory based on historical maps, but an arbitral tribunal in 2016 ruled that the claim has no basis in international law.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores and Michael Perry Editing)
