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Agence France-Presse

The Philippines said it carried out a resupply and rotation mission to troops on a South China Sea reef on Saturday without “untoward incidents”, more than a month after a violent clash with Chinese forces in the area.
It said the mission to Second Thomas Shoal was the first since Manila and Beijing reached a “provisional arrangement” earlier this month for the delivery of daily necessities and rotation missions for Filipino troops based on a rusty warship grounded atop the reef.
The shoal has been a focus of clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to almost the entire South China Sea.
A Filipino sailor lost a thumb in the latest June 17 confrontation when Chinese coastguard members wielding knives, sticks and an axe foiled a Philippine Navy attempt to resupply its troops.
“No untoward incidents were reported” after a civilian vessel escorted by a Philippine Coast Guard boat reprovisioned the BRP Sierra Madre and rotated troops there on Saturday, a foreign department statement said.
China coastguard spokesman Gan Yu confirmed that the Philippines had carried out a resupply mission “in accordance with the temporary arrangement reached between China and the Philippines”.
“The Chinese coastguard acknowledged and supervised the whole process,” Gan said in a statement.
“We hope that the Philippines will honour its commitment and work with China to find consensus and properly manage the maritime situation.”
China’s foreign ministry has suggested it required the Philippines to give Beijing “prior notification” and verification of deliveries, which Manila had promptly rejected.


Philippine foreign department spokeswoman Teresita Daza told reporters on Saturday that Manila gave no prior notification to the Chinese side about the resupply mission, and there was no on-site inspection of the vessels.
“We were informed the Chinese coastguard vessels were at a reasonable distance with no risk of collision,” Daza added.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday called on the Philippines to “honour its commitments” under the deal, according to a readout of his meeting with Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo at an Asean gathering in Laos.
Manalo said he hoped Beijing would keep its side of the bargain.
“If the parties implement, and we hope China implements the agreement, then we’ll be able to resupply our military personnel on the ship without any obstruction,” he told reporters.
“I think that would be an important step forward in diffusing tensions and hopefully lead to other areas of cooperation on the South China Sea.”
A handful of Filipino troops are stationed on the rusty Sierra Madre that was deliberately grounded on the shoal in 1999 to assert Manila’s claims to the area.
They require frequent resupplies for food, water and other necessities as well as transport for personnel rotations.
The shoal lies about 200km (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000km from China’s nearest major land mass, Hainan island.


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South China Sea

South China Sea: Philippines says ‘no incidents’ with China in first resupply mission after deal

A Chinese coastguard vessel blocks the Philippine coastguard ship BRP Cabra as it approaches Second Thomas Shoal during a resupply mission in the disputed South China Sea on November 10, 2023. Photo: AP

South China Sea: is Philippines becoming a gateway for West’s Indo-Pacific interests?

Protesters hold a rally in Manila on July 18 against the US military presence in the Philippines. Photo: EPA-EFE

Soldiers participate in annual Balikatan exercises. Photo: AFP

French Air Force planes perform during the Bastille Day military parade in Paris on July 14. Photo: Xinhua

South China Sea: doubts surface over Philippines’ deal with Beijing on shoal missions

A Philippine coastguard vessel approaches the grounded navy ship BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal. Photo: AFP

The Philippines’ BRP Sierra Madre seen grounded on the contested Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters

Marines fold a Philippine national flag on the BRP Sierra Madre, a transport ship deliberately grounded on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. Photo: Reuters

A Philippine coastguard vessel approaches the grounded navy ship BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal last year. Photo: AFP

A still from video footage shows Chinese coastguard personnel during a confrontation with Philippine Navy sailors near Second Thomas Shoal on June 17. Photo: Handout / Armed Forces of the Philippines

Philippines risks Beijing’s ire as it weighs using allies for South China Sea resupply runs

A member of Chinese coastguard personnel holds an axe as they approach Philippine troops on a resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal on June 17. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP

A Philippine flag flutters on the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has been grounded on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal since 1999. Photo: Reuters

Philippine coastguard personnel look through binoculars while conducting a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed at a grounded warship in the South China Sea last year. Photo: Reuters

South China Sea: US-Philippines intelligence deal ‘long overdue’, marks deepening ties

Philippines’ military chief Romeo Brawner (right) holds talks with US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Brown Jnr in Manila on July 16. Photo: AFP

Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner (left) inspects the troops with US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Brown Jnr (right) at the military headquarters in Manila. Photo: AFP

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard stand alert as a Chinese Coast Guard vessel blocks their way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal on March 5. Photo: Reuters 

South China Sea: hotlines exist, but Philippines says Beijing ‘does not answer’

A Chinese coastguard member holds an axe as they approach Philippine troops on a resupply mission in the Second Thomas Shoal at the disputed South China Sea on June 17, 2024. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP

A Philippine resupply vessel is hit by Chinese coastguard water cannons, causing injuries to multiple crew members, as they tried to enter the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on March 5, 2024. Photo: AP

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (right) with Chinese President Xi Jinping after reviewing an honour guard during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on January 4, 2023. Photo: Xinhua via AP

Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner Jnr during a conference at Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters in Quezon City on July 4, 2024. Photo: Malacanang Presidential Communications Office via AP

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

The Second Thomas Shoal has been a focus of clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months


The Second Thomas Shoal has been a focus of clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to almost the entire South China Sea.
