China and Philippines Reach Agreement to Prevent Clashes at Disputed South China Sea Shoal

[Social Media]

 

In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, China and the Philippines have reached an agreement intended to end confrontations at the Second Thomas Shoal, one of the most fiercely disputed areas in the South China Sea. This deal, which was confirmed by two Philippine officials on condition of anonymity ahead of an official announcement, marks a crucial step towards reducing tensions that have escalated to dangerous levels in recent years.

 

The Second Thomas Shoal is occupied by the Philippines but also claimed by China, leading to increasingly hostile encounters that have raised concerns about potential larger conflicts involving the United States. The agreement was reached on Sunday following a series of negotiations between Chinese and Philippine diplomats in Manila and an exchange of diplomatic notes aimed at creating a mutually acceptable arrangement without compromising either nation's territorial claims.

 

The deal comes after years of aggressive actions by Chinese coast guard and other forces, who have used water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers to prevent supplies from reaching Filipino navy personnel stationed at Manila’s outpost on the shoal. These hostilities have included repeated clashes, such as the severe confrontation on June 17, when Chinese forces rammed and boarded Philippine navy boats to stop the transfer of food and other supplies, resulting in injuries to Filipino personnel and the seizure of equipment.

 

The Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ayungin in the Philippines and Ren’ai Jiao in China, has been a flashpoint in the broader territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Alongside China and the Philippines, other countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the region, making it a critical area of geopolitical tension and a potential flashpoint for broader conflicts.

 

The agreement, while a positive development, faces challenges in its implementation and longevity. The removal of two significant Chinese demands from the final deal was pivotal. China had initially required the Philippines to refrain from bringing construction materials to fortify its outpost and to allow Chinese inspection of supply shipments. The Philippines rejected these conditions, ensuring that the final agreement did not include them.

 

The United States, which has no territorial claims in the South China Sea but maintains a strong interest in the region's stability and freedom of navigation, has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to defending the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, in the event of an armed attack. This stance underscores the strategic importance of the agreement between China and the Philippines, which could set a precedent for resolving other disputes in the region.

 

The international community, including key U.S. allies such as Japan and Australia, has condemned China's aggressive actions and called for adherence to international law and the preservation of free navigation in the South China Sea. This agreement may spark hope for similar arrangements between China and other rival countries to avoid clashes while territorial disputes remain unresolved.

 

As both nations prepare to announce this historic deal publicly, it represents a tentative but hopeful step towards peace and stability in one of the world's most contested maritime regions. The success of this agreement could influence future diplomatic efforts and contribute to a more peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

 

Credit: Politico 2024-07-22

 

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[Tug]

Hope it pans out!!

[Gweiloman]

3 hours ago, Tug said:

Hope it pans out!!

It should, if America doesn’t meddle. That’s a big IF.

[statman78]

It’s amazing that China claims these islands.  Mainland China is nowhere near them.

 

 

[Tug]

8 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

It should, if America doesn’t meddle. That’s a big IF.

That depends on what our ally asks of us and chinas behavior 

[Gweiloman]

23 hours ago, Tug said:

That depends on what our ally asks of us and chinas behavior 

Rather naive. America doesn’t wait to be asked. It acts unilaterally to try and preserve its declining hegemony.

[placeholder]

On 7/22/2024 at 9:11 PM, Gweiloman said:

Rather naive. America doesn’t wait to be asked. It acts unilaterally to try and preserve its declining hegemony.

Sure.  It's all about America...oh wait a minute...

 

"VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Top diplomats from Southeast Asia met Friday in Laos with China’s foreign minister for talks that come as friction escalates over Beijing’s growing effort to press its sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have territorial disputes with China, which have led to direct confrontations that many worry could lead to broader conflict.

“One wrong step in the South China Sea will turn a small fire into a terrible firestorm,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said ahead of the talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi."

https://apnews.com/article/asean-laos-china-america-south-china-sea-9f51f4e931ca34c859113a4d7da79267

[Gweiloman]

On 7/27/2024 at 9:18 AM, placeholder said:

Sure.  It's all about America...oh wait a minute...

 

"VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Top diplomats from Southeast Asia met Friday in Laos with China’s foreign minister for talks that come as friction escalates over Beijing’s growing effort to press its sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have territorial disputes with China, which have led to direct confrontations that many worry could lead to broader conflict.

“One wrong step in the South China Sea will turn a small fire into a terrible firestorm,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said ahead of the talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi."

https://apnews.com/article/asean-laos-china-america-south-china-sea-9f51f4e931ca34c859113a4d7da79267

And only the Philippines has had confrontations. Yes, an US ally… 

 

On the other hand, Malaysia, Thailand has expressed interest in joining BRICS, a China led bloc…

[placeholder]

14 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

And only the Philippines has had confrontations. Yes, an US ally… 

 

On the other hand, Malaysia, Thailand has expressed interest in joining BRICS, a China led bloc…

Joining BRICS is a kind of virtue signaling, so to speak, that has little actual economic or strategic significance For instance, there's been a lot of talk about the threat it poses to the supremacy of the dollar. But as this passage from the article points out, it doesn't pose much of a threat at all

 

The BRICS Is Not a Strategic Threat to the United States

"It’s important to highlight that capital does not only look for markets, and investors do not only seek to make profits. They seek, among other things, the rule of law, protection of intellectual property rights, a stable currency, a sound banking system, limits on state intervention, and political stability. Unlike Beijing, Washington fulfils all these criteria with flying colors."

https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/the-brics-is-not-a-strategic-threat-to-the-united-states/

 

 

 

[tonbridgebrit]

On 7/22/2024 at 2:50 AM, statman78 said:

It’s amazing that China claims these islands.  Mainland China is nowhere near them.

 

You should try and be a bit consistent. Looking at a world map, you will notice that America and various European nations have islands nowhere near them.

Ownership of whatever island is not just based on who is nearest to the island. It's based on other things as well. Who was the first to sail pass the island ?  Who was the first to put a flag on it, and claim it ?  And also, if you fight a war and win it, well, you have ownership. This is what happens.

[tonbridgebrit]

On 7/27/2024 at 3:18 AM, placeholder said:

Sure.  It's all about America...oh wait a minute...

 

"VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Top diplomats from Southeast Asia met Friday in Laos with China’s foreign minister for talks that come as friction escalates over Beijing’s growing effort to press its sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have territorial disputes with China, which have led to direct confrontations that many worry could lead to broader conflict.

“One wrong step in the South China Sea will turn a small fire into a terrible firestorm,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said ahead of the talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi."

https://apnews.com/article/asean-laos-china-america-south-china-sea-9f51f4e931ca34c859113a4d7da79267

 The important thing is, is that not one American or British soldier will be killed fighting whatever war in the Far East countries. Any American dying in such a conflict is a waste of life.

A bit like the Middle East or Africa. Let the locals there fight and kill each other if they want to. Wny on earth have US or British soldiers fighting in such places ? 

[statman78]

3 hours ago, tonbridgebrit said:

You should try and be a bit consistent. Looking at a world map, you will notice that America and various European nations have islands nowhere near them.

Ownership of whatever island is not just based on who is nearest to the island. It's based on other things as well. Who was the first to sail pass the island ?  Who was the first to put a flag on it, and claim it ?  And also, if you fight a war and win it, well, you have ownership. This is what happens.

Sure, many western nations have laid claim to an island to 2 but when you look at the map I provided China has laid laid to everything in the indicated area.

[placeholder]

5 hours ago, tonbridgebrit said:

 The important thing is, is that not one American or British soldier will be killed fighting whatever war in the Far East countries. Any American dying in such a conflict is a waste of life.

A bit like the Middle East or Africa. Let the locals there fight and kill each other if they want to. Wny on earth have US or British soldiers fighting in such places ? 

Deflecting much? The proper question to raise in this thread is this why are Chinese armed forces present in such far-flung locations?

[Gweiloman]

On 7/30/2024 at 6:23 PM, placeholder said:

Deflecting much? The proper question to raise in this thread is this why are Chinese armed forces present in such far-flung locations?

I didn’t realise the were Chinese armed forces present in the Americas, Europe etc.

 

 on the other hand, the US has not just forces but bases in every corner of the world. 

[placeholder]

10 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

I didn’t realise the were Chinese armed forces present in the Americas, Europe etc.

 

 on the other hand, the US has not just forces but bases in every corner of the world. 

And where in those far flung corners of the world is the US attempting to claim foreign territory as its own? 

[Gweiloman]

53 minutes ago, placeholder said:

And where in those far flung corners of the world is the US attempting to claim foreign territory as its own? 

And where are those far flung places where China is attempting to claim? Caribbean? South Pacific? Indian Ocean maybe?

[placeholder]

45 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

And where are those far flung places where China is attempting to claim? Caribbean? South Pacific? Indian Ocean maybe?

I guess you think that aggression being closer to home makes it okay?

 

[Gweiloman]

On 8/1/2024 at 9:08 PM, placeholder said:

I guess you think that aggression being closer to home makes it okay?

 

Aggression anywhere is not ok, particularly in “far flung” places which has nothing to do with national security but is instead trying to maintain one’s hegemony. 
 

What is happening in the South China Sea (the name should give you a clue as to its location) is a regional matter of territorial disputes but one that affects the national security of the countries involved. All the SEA countries know exactly why China is trying to claim these mostly uninhabitable islands and shoals. They know that the nature of these moves are not for aggression but defensive, as a way of countering the 1st and 2nd island chain and protecting its sea routes. They can see clearer how the PI is being used by America to provoke China and to cause instability in the region. This same playbook has been used many times previously. It’s only weak and corrupt leaders such as Marcos that follows along.