South China Sea: Beijing, Manila agree to manage differences ‘to better deal with urgent situations’

Name: Philippines sets up ‘game changer’ monitoring station on island in disputed South China Sea
Uploaded: 2024-01-18T05:14:43.000Z
Duration: 4 min 30 s
Description: Philippines sets up ‘game changer’ monitoring station on island in disputed South China Sea

Senior officials vow to ‘especially manage the situation’ at Second Thomas Shoal during talks in Shanghai, according to Beijing

Relations are tense after Philippine leader congratulated Taiwan’s president-elect and following months of friction over the reef

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After months of friction near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, senior officials agreed to “further improve maritime communication”. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard

Laura Zhou

Published: 1:14pm, 18 Jan 2024Updated: 4:18pm, 18 Jan 2024

China and the Philippines have agreed to manage their disputes over the South China Sea amid heightened tensions between the two rival claimants that have raised concerns of a wider conflict.

During the latest bilateral consultative mechanism meeting in Shanghai on Wednesday, senior officials from the two countries agreed to “further improve maritime communication and properly manage their differences through consultation … to better deal with urgent situations at sea, especially manage the situation at Renai Reef”, the Chinese readout said, using the Chinese name for Second Thomas Shoal.

“[The two sides] would continue to promote practical cooperation at sea, so as to create favourable conditions for the healthy and stable development of China-Philippines relations,” the statement said.

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Philippines sets up ‘game changer’ monitoring station on island in disputed South China Sea

During the “frank and in-depth” negotiations, the two sides agreed it was in the interests of both nations to maintain stability in the South China Sea, and that keeping up communication was crucial to achieve that.

The negotiations were co-chaired by China’s assistant foreign minister Nong Rong and the Philippine foreign ministry undersecretary Theresa Lazaro, while representatives of their respective departments of foreign affairs, defence, natural resources, environment, transport, agriculture and coastguards also attended.

Wednesday’s meeting – the eighth since the mechanism was established in 2017 – was held as relations between Beijing and Manila were further tested after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Monday congratulated Taiwan’s president-elect William Lai Ching-te, who Beijing has denounced as a separatist.

Beijing sees the self-ruled island as part of China to be reunified, by force if necessary, and is strongly opposed to any official exchanges between Taiwan and foreign governments.