The Philippines said it clinched a “provisional arrangement” with China on its resupply missions to a military outpost in the South China Sea as part of efforts to ease tensions.
The Southeast Asian nation has “reached an understanding” with China on the resupply of its troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in the Second Thomas Shoal, the Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Department said in a statement Sunday. It didn’t provide details of the arrangement.
The Foreign Affairs Department said the provisional arrangement was agreed during bilateral talks on the South China Sea dispute earlier this month. China, which claims nearly the entire South China Sea, had obstructed Philippines’ resupply missions to the World War II-era warship in past months.
Ocean flashpoint
The latest statement from Manila adds to signs that both sides are open to defuse tensions that hit a high point last month when a Philippine sailor lost a thumb as sea clashes escalated. Last week, media reported that the two countries are planning to elevate a sea dispute hotline to the offices of Presidents Xi Jinping and Ferdinand Marcos Jr and their foreign ministers.
The BRP Sierra Madre had been a flashpoint between the two countries as their vessels clashed and Beijing used water cannons that damaged Philippine vessels and injured Filipino crew members.
“Both sides continue to recognise the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation and agree that the agreement will not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea,” the Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Department said.