MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A newly signed agreement will open a direct line of communication between China and the Philippine presidential offices to try to prevent any new confrontation from spiraling out of control in the disputed South China Sea, according to highlights of the deal seen by The Associated Press Tuesday.
China and the Philippines have already set up such hotlines at lower levels of their bureaucracies to better manage their differences, including in two hotly contested areas where the Philippines has accused Chinese forces of increasingly hostile actions and where China says Philippine ships have encroached despite repeated warnings.
But territorial clashes have persisted uncontrollably over the past year, raising fears of a wider armed conflict that could involve the United States, which has repeatedly warned it is obligated to defend the Philippines, a key Asia Treaty ally, if Philippine forces come under armed attack in the disputed waters.
During a standoff between Chinese and Philippine forces on Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Reef in August 2023, the Philippine government said it was unable to reach Chinese officials through a “maritime communication mechanism” established for several hours at the time of the standoff. The hotline was set up after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in January 2023.
Chinese and Philippine officials tasked with resolving territorial disputes held crucial talks in Manila on July 2, following a violent confrontation on Second Thomas Reef in which Chinese coast guard personnel reportedly wielded knives, an axe and improvised spears in a chaotic clash that injured Philippine navy personnel and damaged two of their motorboats. Chinese forces also seized seven rifles from the Philippine navy, said the Philippine military chief, who demanded that China return the firearms and pay for damages.
The two sides “recognized the need to strengthen the bilateral maritime communication mechanism in the South China Sea” and signed an agreement “on improving maritime communication mechanisms between the Philippines and China,” the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said in a statement after the Manila talks, but did not provide a copy or details of the agreement.
A copy of the agreement’s highlights, seen by the AP, said it “provides for multiple channels of communication between the Philippines and China, including on maritime issues, through representatives designated by their leaders.”
The hotline talks could also be conducted “through counterparts in the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including at the level of the minister and vice minister of foreign affairs or through their designated representatives,” he said, adding without elaborating that Philippine officials were “in discussions with the Chinese side on the guidelines that will govern the implementation of this agreement.”
There are also plans to set up a new communication channel between the Chinese and Philippine coast guards “once the relevant memorandum of understanding” between them is concluded, according to the agreement.
During recent talks in Manila, China and the Philippines agreed to two other confidence-building measures aimed at intensifying “cooperation between their respective coast guard authorities” and the possible convening of a maritime forum between Chinese and Philippine scientists and academic leaders.
“Both sides recognized the need to rebuild trust and create conditions conducive to productive dialogue and interaction,” the Philippine foreign ministry said in a statement after the talks. It added that China and the Philippines “affirmed their commitment to de-escalating tensions without prejudice to their respective positions.”
He said that “substantial progress has been made in developing measures to manage the situation at sea” but acknowledged that “significant differences remain”.
