Philippines- China Deal

On July 21st, 2024, the Philippines and China reached a deal to avoid confrontations at a fiercely disputed shoal in the South China Sea. This standoff, which has repeatedly flared since 2023, has seen increasingly hostile confrontations, raising fears of a larger conflict that could involve the US.

Key Points

According to Philippines it has “reached an understanding” with China on resupply missions to a beached Filipino naval ship that has been a key flashpoint between the two countries in the South China Sea.
The Chinese side still demands that the Philippine side tow away the ship and restore the original status of Second Thomas Shoal as if it were unmanned and without facilities.
Second Thomas Shoal: Second Thomas Shoal is a submerged reef located in the Spratly Islands. It lies about 200km (124 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000km (620 miles) from China’s southern Hainan island.

Dispute Between Philippines and China: History

In 1999, Philippines deliberately beached a naval ship, the Sierra Madre, on Second Thomas Shoal to reinforce its claims over disputed waters surrounding it, and it has since maintained a small contingent of sailors aboard the vessel who require resupply missions that China has been accused of repeatedly trying to block.
South China Sea: China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, overlapping maritime claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. In 2016, a Hague-based tribunal said China’s claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.
US Philippines Deal: Philippines and US are bound by the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, a pact that can be invoked in case of an armed attack against Philippine forces.