Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte and China’s Xi Jinping allegedly had unwritten pact on South China Sea status quo

Former president Duterte’s purported verbal pact with Xi intended to mitigate South China Sea disputes, yet China’s renewed hostility prompts scrutiny

Revelation by Duterte’s ex-spokesman sparks debate on Beijing’s increasingly aggressive stance

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Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping wave to members of the media after inspecting an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Malacanang palace grounds in Manila in November 2018. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:00pm, 29 Mar 2024Updated: 1:29pm, 29 Mar 2024

Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte allegedly made a “gentleman’s agreement” with Chinese President Xi Jinping to maintain the status quo in the South China Sea while he was in office, with analysts suggesting Beijing could be using the broken pact to justify its recent aggressive actions.

Harry Roque, who served as Duterte’s spokesman for several years, said in an interview this week with the news website Politiko that the reason for China’s recent water cannon attacks on Philippine vessels might be because it thought the agreement would remain in place under Duterte’s successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.

Roque later clarified on Wednesday that the verbal, non-binding agreement meant the Philippines would not construct or repair any installations within the disputed area but could deliver “food and water supplies” to Filipino troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II navy ship that was grounded at the Second Thomas Shoal to reinforce Manila’s territorial claims over the surrounding area.

Harry Roque, presidential spokesman of Philippines, at a press conference in Hong Kong in 2018. Photo: Edmond So

“This is not a secret deal. This was made public by former Foreign Affairs [Secretary] Alan Peter Cayetano, who said before that if there are no repairs, no improvements on the ship, no problem in Ayungin [the Philippines’ term for the Second Thomas Shoal] … only water and food will be supplied,” Roque said.

He explained that the deal also required China to cease construction activities on the Mischief Reef, located near the Second Thomas Shoal.

Roque, a lawyer by profession, refused to call it an “agreement” on Wednesday, saying instead it was only an “understanding” that the Philippine Navy’s monthly resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre would be allowed as long as they were for “humanitarian purposes”.

However, Roque claimed Beijing would be wrong to assume that such an agreement would be honoured by Marcos Jnr’s administration.

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Former president Duterte’s purported verbal pact with Xi intended to mitigate South China Sea disputes, yet China’s renewed hostility prompts scrutiny

Revelation by Duterte’s ex-spokesman sparks debate on Beijing’s increasingly aggressive stance