Philippines and China Reach Deal for Resupply Missions to Deescalate Tensions in South China Sea

A Chinese coast guard ship fires a water cannon at Unaizah, a Philippine navy chartered vessel conducting a routine resupply mission to troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, in the South China Sea on March 5, 2024. (Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)

Manila has announced that the Philippines and Beijing have agreed on a “provisional arrangement” for the resupply missions to a Philippine outpost to “avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation” in the disputed waters in the South China Sea.

“Both sides continue to recognize 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,” a July 21 statement from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs reads.

The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed the “temporary arrangement,” with the two sides agreeing to jointly manage maritime differences.

The outpost, located at the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands, has been occupied by a small Philippine navy contingent aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded World War II-era ship, since 1999. China’s coast guard and navy have closely monitored the outpost in a years-long territorial standoff.

The deal was reached after a series of “frank and constructive” talks during the ninth meeting of their Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea on July 2, where Manila and Beijing agreed to “restore trust” and “rebuild confidence” to better control maritime disputes.

The two did not provide details of the agreement.

Washington to Support Philippines’ Resupply Missions

Philippine security officials also said on July 21 that they would carry out the resupply missions on their own despite an offer from the United States for help.

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum conference in Colorado on July 19, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that Washington “will do what is necessary” to ensure that the Philippines maintains its resupply missions in the Second Thomas Shoal.

“We will continue to support the Philippines and stand behind them as they take steps to be able to ensure that,” he said. “The most important thing right now is to see de-escalation and to see the ability of the Philippines to do resupplies.”

Mr. Sullivan said the United States has made clear to Beijing that the 1951 U.S.–Philippine mutual defense treaty applies in the South China Sea.

“China well understands our view of the application of the mutual defense treaty, should that line get crossed. That’s an important point,” he said.

“It is one we have reinforced publicly and very much reinforced directly to the PRC [People’s Republic of China].”

Since 2023, the Chinese regime has repeatedly harassed the Philippines’ resupply mission activities in the Second Thomas Shoal within Manila’s exclusive economic zone. The most recent face-off occurred on June 17, when the Chinese coast guard rammed into Philippine navy boats and prevented the Filipino crew from delivering food to its soldiers at the outpost. The Chinese coast guard personnel damaged the boats and seized firearms and other supplies. The violent confrontation injured several Filipino sailors, one of whom lost a finger during the incident.

Following the incident, Mr. Sullivan and other top U.S. officials condemned Beijing and reaffirmed “ironclad U.S. commitments” to Manila.

On July 12, speaking at a forum in Manila, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson and other counterparts from key Western and Asian allies expressed their support for the Philippines. Ms. Carlson said Washington continues to call on the Chinese regime to stop its aggressive actions in the South China Sea against the Philippines, as a network of allies supports the United States in preserving the rule of law in the disputed waters.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims control over almost the entire South China Sea, a vital route for international maritime trade. This claim overlaps with territories claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines—rejecting the CCP’s unlawful claims—based on the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. However, Beijing has ignored the ruling and continued its aggression in the region.

Reuters contributed to this report.