MANILA/BEIJING – China and the Philippines have agreed to restore trust and build confidence in the South China Sea, two weeks after a skirmish near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal left a Filipino soldier injured and raised the risk of a serious conflict.
The agreement came after officials from both sides held “frank and constructive” talks on the South China Sea in Manila on July 2. The meeting was headed by Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong and his Philippine counterpart Theresa Lazaro.
Maritime tensions have run high in the past year, with both sides clashing repeatedly over the Philippines’ resupply missions to the Second Thomas Shoal, where an ageing warship called the BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded since 1999 to serve as Manila’s remote military outpost.
The latest escalation came in a face-off between Chinese coast guard and Philippine naval vessels on June 17.
Using knives and spears, Chinese personnel boarded the Philippine Navy dinghies and confiscated firearms – the first intervention since new Chinese rules came into force on June 15 that authorise China’s coast guard to detain foreigners who trespass into waters it proclaims as its own.
On July 2, the Philippines said that “both sides recognised that there is a need to restore trust, rebuild confidence and create conditions conducive to productive dialogue and interaction”.
“The two sides discussed their respective positions on Ayungin Shoal and affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions,” said the Philippine statement, which added that “significant differences remain”. Ayungin is the local name for the Second Thomas Shoal.
The July 2 talks, called the Ninth Meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, is a dialogue that began in 2017. Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed with then Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to establish this dialogue in 2016. The last meeting was held in Shanghai on Jan 17, 2024.
Both sides agreed to continue discussions on maritime cooperation, such as between their coast guards, and an academic forum among scientists and academics on marine scientific and technological cooperation.
They also agreed to hold the 10th meeting of the bilateral talks in China, although no specific date was mentioned.
While analysts welcomed the positive signals for peace, there was little sign that either side was ready to back down on its sovereignty claims.
Ms Lazaro said that her country would be “relentless in protecting its interests and upholding the sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea”.
Source link : https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/china-philippines-agree-to-lower-tensions-in-south-china-sea-boost-communications
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Publish date : 2024-07-02 12:10:00
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