Beijing draws line on shoal as Marcos denies knowing of ‘gentleman’s agreement’
China has spelled out its “clear and explicit” position on a grounded Philippine warship in the strategic South China Sea, after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr denied knowing about a “gentleman’s agreement” between Beijing and his predecessor.
Beijing’s statement came just hours before a landmark trilateral United States-Japan-Philippine summit was held in Washington.
China had “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands, called the Nanshas in China, which includes the Second Thomas Shoal and the surrounding waters, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.
The Chinese stance was “clear and explicit”, she said, and Beijing had consistently committed to dialogue and consultation with the Philippines to manage and control the situation at the shoal, known as Renai Reef in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines.
The shoal has been the focus of tensions between China and the Philippines, with Manila deliberately grounding a warship on the outcrop in 1999 to reinforce its territorial claims.
“The reasons behind the current situation at Renai Reef are clear and evident,” Mao said, adding one of them was that the Philippines “flatly denied” the “gentleman’s agreement” and “engaged in provocative actions and encroachments at sea”.
“If the Philippine side genuinely wishes to ease the situation at Renai Reef through dialogue and communication, it should prioritise good faith, adhere to agreements, abide by consensus and cease provocations,” she said.
The foreign ministry’s statement came after Marcos on Wednesday said he was “horrified” to learn about a “gentleman’s agreement” between his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte and China.
Duterte’s former spokesman, Harry Roque, said in an interview two weeks ago that the verbal agreement barred Manila from shipping construction materials to a World War II-era ship that had served as the nation’s military outpost in the shoal for about a quarter of a century.
However, Duterte late on Thursday said he only recalled having a status quo agreement with China under which neither Manila nor Beijing would make a move that would disrupt peace in the disputed waters.
Marcos said: “If that agreement says we need to seek permission from another country to be able to do something within our own territory, it would probably be difficult to honour that agreement.”
However, Mao said the Philippines had “breached its commitments” by refusing to remove the “illegally grounded warship” and “violated China’s sovereignty”.
“China demanded that the Philippines immediately tow away the vessel and restore Renai Reef to its original state, unstaffed and without any facilities,” she said.
Philippine military missions that rotate and resupply troops on the boat have become a constant source of tension between Manila and Beijing. Last month, there were two confrontations between China and the Philippines indisputed waters near the contested shoal, with Chinese vessels deploying water cannon several times.