New Delhi: The Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China have taken steps to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea through existing channels of communication and mechanisms, ThePrint has learnt.
People familiar with the matter told ThePrint that mechanisms created between the two countries have been employed to reduce tensions between Beijing (capital of China) and Manila (capital of the Philippines) after an incident on 17 June.
The Philippines claimed that on 17 June, a Chinese coast guard vessel intentionally rammed into one of the country’s ships and seriously injured a sailor near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the South China Sea. Beijing denied the allegations and claimed that it was the Philippine supply ship that “dangerously” and “deliberately” approached the Chinese coast guard vehicle in an unprofessional manner.
Manila claimed that China’s allegations are “deceptive” and “misleading”.
Tensions between the two countries have been on the rise since a series of confrontations occurred near the Second Thomas Shoal in recent months.
Reuters reported Wednesday that both Manila and Beijing have created three new channels to handle tensions between the two countries.
Manila, in the past, has accused Beijing of using water cannons against Philippine ships and blocking the country’s supply vessels from resupplying its grounded warship BRP Sierra Madre. The ship was grounded in the area to ensure Manila can maintain its military presence in the region.
In 2016, an arbitral tribunal decided that Beijing has no territorial claim to the area, which falls within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. China has since refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the tribunal to make a decision on the dispute.
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India’s stand on the dispute
India has backed the Philippines’ claim to the area — a position reiterated by India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during a recent visit to Manila in March 2024. New Delhi first made its position clear on the issue in June 2023, as reported by ThePrint earlier.
The dispute has received global attention in recent months. On 8 July, 2024, Japan and the Philippines signed a reciprocal access agreement. The militaries of the US, Canada, Japan and the Philippines conducted a joint maritime exercise in Manila’s EEZ earlier this week.
In a similar fashion, China and Russia carried out live fire naval exercises in the South China Sea as the two countries have continued to deepen their military cooperation in recent years.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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