South China Sea: Philippines did not agree to ‘new model’ to manage Second Thomas Shoal, officials say

The Chinese embassy in Manila had said China and the Philippines earlier this year agreed on a ‘new model’ for the Second Thomas Shoal

The Second Thomas Shoal falls within Beijing’s ‘10-dash line’, which encloses its maritime claims in the South China Sea

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Chinese coastguard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel as it makes its way towards the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea in March. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:20pm, 6 May 2024Updated: 9:18am, 7 May 2024

Philippine government officials have denied that they made an agreement with China to follow a “new model” of behaviour to ease tensions over the Second Thomas Shoal, a contested maritime area in the South China Sea that has been the centre of numerous confrontations between the two nations.

Department of National Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and the president’s national security adviser Eduardo M. Año denied that the Philippines made the agreement in separate statements on Sunday.

They issued the statements in response to a post by the Chinese embassy in Manila on its official Facebook page on Saturday that said China and the Philippines had agreed on a “new model” earlier this year to manage the Second Thomas Shoal.

Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro Jnr. Photo: Reuters

China claims more than 80 per cent of the South China Sea as its territory – demarcated on its maps as a nine-dash line, or, more recently, as a 10-dash line.

The Second Thomas Shoal falls within the line, which encloses Beijing’s maritime claims, while the Philippines claims the shoal since it lies within its exclusive economic zone.

The Philippines’ position was upheld as part of a 2016 arbitral ruling at The Hague, which dismissed China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea. China has refused to recognise the judgment, calling it illegal and invalid.

The Philippines also grounded the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II era navy vessel, to serve as an outpost on the shoal and reinforce its territorial claims.

Manila’s missions to resupply the outpost have been the cause of skirmishes with Chinese vessels, which have used high-powered water cannons and other tactics to disrupt Philippine activities.