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Manila says it ‘explored ways to lower the tension in the area’
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and China met in Beijing on Wednesday, September 11, two weeks after an August filled with incidents — including clashes — in the West Philippine Sea between its maritime forces.
In a release, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong met Philippine Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro for a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea.
“Emphasizing that Escoda Shoal is within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Philippines, Undersecretary Lazaro reaffirmed the consistent position of the Philippines and explored ways to lower the tension in the area,” said the DFA in a statement on Thursday, September 12.
China said the two countries spoke about maritime issues, including those that concern Sabina or Escoda Shoal, a low-tide elevation located just 75 nautical miles away from the Philippines. China claims the feature, even if it is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
In its statement, Manila said the two countries “agreed to continue discussions on areas of cooperation, especially on hotline mechanisms, coast guard cooperation, and marine scientific and technological cooperation.”
The two countries also “reaffirmed the BCM as a forum for promoting maritime dialogue and enhancing bilateral cooperation while agreeing to continue engagement through diplomatic channels.”
“Both sides agreed to continue discussions on areas of cooperation, especially on hotline mechanisms, coast guard cooperation, and marine scientific and technological cooperation,” added the DFA.
New flashpoint
Escoda has turned into a new flashpoint for tensions between Manila and Beijing, as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s BRP Teresa Magbanua marks an almost five-month-long “extended patrol” in the shoal. The vessel was first deployed in April 2024 over concerns that China was trying to reclaim the feature.
Beijing, in turn, has protested the continued presence of the Magbanua. They protested the same during the BCM meeting.
In August 2024 alone, Escoda Shoal has witnessed at least four incidents between the Philippines and China. On August 19, the China Coast Guard (CCG) rammed two PCG ships some 20 to 30 nautical miles away from the shoal. The two vessels were en route to different features in the West Philippine Sea.
On August 23, the CCG rammed and used water cannons against a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship that was supposed to bring supplies to fisherfolk. The next day, 40 Chinese vessels — the CCG, Chinese Maritime Militia vessels, and even Chinese Navy ships — blocked two PCG vessels from bringing supplies to the Magbanua. The PCG eventually used a helicopter to fly in essentials for the Magbanua’s crew.
On August 31, CCG ships rammed the Magbanua thrice after it switched positions within the shoal. The Philippines said the ship would remain in Escoda, despite the damage it incurred.
The BCM was established in 2016, under former president Rodrigo Duterte and still-sitting Chinese President Xi Jinping. The last meeting, in early July 2024, was hosted in Manila and came in the shadows of a clash between the CCG and Philippine Navy in what used to be the most volatile feature in the West Philippine Sea — Ayungin Shoal, where the BRP Sierra Madre serves as a Philippine outpost.
Weeks after that meeting, the Philippines and China reached a “provisional agreement” to avoid incidents in Ayungin Shoal. While that deal has worked, thus far, the Philippines has recorded incidents not only in Escoda but in other features including Scarborough Shoal.
The first meeting in 2024 happened in January 2024, during which the two countries agreed to improve communication “between foreign ministries and coast guards of the two countries.”
Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Manila has become more aggressive in asserting its sovereign rights and claims in the West Philippine Sea — a dramatic turn from Duterte’s pro-China pivot that, at times, meant silence despite harassment incidents in the Philippines’ EEZ.
The Marcos administration has emphasized the importance of talk and diplomacy, even as he’s promised that the Philippines “will not lose an inch” of its territory under his watch. – Rappler.com
