Philippine forces sail to hotly disputed shoal without incident for first time since agreement with China

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine government workers on Saturday transported food and other supplies to a hotly contested shoal in the South China Sea occupied by a contingent of the Philippine Navy but closely guarded by Beijing’s forces. No confrontations were reported, Philippine officials said.

It was the first supply trip by the Philippine government to the Second Thomas Reef, which has been the scene of increasingly violent clashes between Chinese and Philippine forces since the Philippines and China reached an agreement to avoid clashes a week ago, the Foreign Ministry in Manila said in a statement.

“The lawful and routine rotation and resupply mission within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone is a credit to the professionalism of the men and women of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard, as well as the close coordination between the National Security Council, the Department of Defense and the Department of Foreign Affairs,” the Philippine Foreign Ministry said, without giving further details.

A senior Philippine security official told the Associated Press that the Chinese and Philippine coast guards communicated on Saturday to coordinate and that their ships did not radio the other side to immediately leave the shoal, as they have done in the past.

In addition, for the first time, Chinese coast guard vessels did not shadow or block Philippine vessels in the shoal, as they have repeatedly done in the past, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the sensitive issue publicly.

There was initially no comment from Chinese officials.

The Philippines and China reached the agreement after a series of meetings between the two countries’ diplomats in Manila and the exchange of diplomatic notes. Their aim was to reach a mutually acceptable settlement for the shoal – called Ayungin by the Filipinos and Ren’ai Jiao by the Chinese – without recognizing the territorial claims of either side, Philippine officials said.

The deal was not made public by either party.

The Chinese coast guard and other forces have used powerful water cannons and dangerous blockade maneuvers to prevent food and other supplies from reaching Philippine naval personnel at Manila’s shoal outpost, which is located on a long-ground and rusting warship, the BRP Sierra Madre.

In the worst confrontation, Chinese forces on motorboats repeatedly rammed and boarded two Philippine naval boats on June 17 to prevent Filipino personnel from bringing food and other supplies, including firearms, to the ship’s base in the shallow waters of the shoal, according to the Philippine government. The Chinese hijacked the Philippine naval boats and damaged them with machetes and improvised spears. They also captured seven crated M4 rifles and other supplies. The violent confrontation left several Philippine naval personnel injured, including one who lost his thumb. The chaotic skirmish was captured on video and photographs and later released by Philippine authorities.

China and the Philippines blamed each other for the confrontation and each claimed their own sovereignty rights over the shoal.

The United States and its key Asian and Western allies, including Japan and Australia, condemned China’s actions in the shoal and called for the rule of law and freedom of navigation to be upheld in the South China Sea, a key global trade route with rich fishing grounds and undersea gas reserves.

In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are involved in separate but increasingly tense territorial disputes over the waterway, which is seen as a potential flashpoint and sensitive fault line in the regional rivalry between the US and China. The US military has deployed naval vessels and fighter jets for decades in so-called freedom and overflight patrols, which China opposes and sees as a threat to regional stability.

While Washington makes no territorial claims in the disputed waters, it has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft face an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.