Philippines, China OK ‘arrangement’ on resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal 

MANILA, Philippines – More than a month after the China Coast Guard attacked Filipino soldiers during a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal in mid-June 2024, the Philippines announced on Sunday, July 21, that it had “reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement” with China on these missions. 

“The Philippines and the People’s Republic of China have reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement for the resupply of daily necessities and rotation missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal,” said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in a statement. 

The DFA did not release details of the said arrangement, but said “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.”

According to a report from the Associated Press, two Chinese demands did not make it to the draft deal. 

The AP said Beijing wanted Manila not to bring construction materials, and to give “advance notice and the right to inspect the ships.” The Philippines rejected China’s demands, and the final arrangement did not include these provisions, said the AP quoting a Philippine official. 

These conditions are not new. Beijing has insisted on these provisions before – in its deals with the previous administration, and in demands it has made to Manila under Marcos.

The BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting warship that was run aground in the shoal back in 1999, is a flashpoint for tensions between the two countries. A handful of Philippine Navy personnel – usually the Marines – are deployed to stand watch for months at a time. 

At least once a month, the Western Command hold RORE or rotation and resupply missions to the shoal to bring provisions for soldiers there, and to rotate personnel. 

Beijing especially opposes Philippine missions to bring construction supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre. Military officials have said their goal is to make sure the dilapidated warship is as habitable as possible.  

China has, more often than not, harassed these missions. Beijing claims the shoal as its own, even if it is just over 100 nautical miles away from Palawan and is well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. 

The June 17 incident was the most violent to death, leading to fears that tensions in the West Philippine Sea would only get worse. 

The DFA said the “arrangement” was made through consultations after Manila hosted the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea on July 2.

Philippine officials had promised that RORE missions to Ayungin will push through – though they have been sparse on how. 

The shoal is a crucial feature in the West Philippine Sea – is it close to Mischief Reef, which China started controlling in 1995. The reef has since turned into a military outpost for Beijing. 

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Philippines’ actions in and rhetoric on issues in the West Philippine Sea have been more forceful – he has publicly promised that the Philippines would not “yield” even as China continued to be more aggressive in those waters. 

The Philippines is a treaty-ally of the United States, though Filipino officials have said they don’t see the need American help, or see a reason to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty. – Rappler.com