Manila and Beijing agreed to an arrangement regarding the conduct of rotation and resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal in West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Sunday.
“The Philippines and the People’s Republic of China have reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement for the resupply of daily necessities and rotation missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal,” the DFA said in a statement.
The agency indicated that this was achieved after a series of consultations following the frank and constructive discussions between the two sides during the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea in Manila on 2 July 2024.
Both sides continue to recognize the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation and confirmed that the agreement will not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea, according to DFA.
The Philippine Navy earlier said that amid the conduct of BCM between Manila and Beijing, the Philippines has yet to observe a concrete sign of de-escalation of tensions in the WPS.
Philippine Navy Spokesperson for WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad earlier said the only indicator that tension is slowly easing is the decreasing number of Chinese vessels operating in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“We are continuously monitoring the number of ships in the West Philippine Sea. Based on the numbers for the past one month, we have seen a decrease,” Trinidad said. “If ever this is related to the BCM talks, it remains to be seen.”
“Apart from that, we haven’t seen any other activity that would indicate changes in the behavior of the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N), China Coast Guard (CCG), and Chinese maritime militia vessels (CMMVs),” he added.
