China embassy claims arrangement with WESCOM on Ayungin resupply

MANILA, Philippines — Repeatedly rebuffed of its claim that a special deal exists with the Philippines regarding the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal, China – through its embassy in Manila – is now pointing to the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Wescom) as the other party in the so-called “new model” arrangement.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese embassy said the “new model” was an offshoot of the “gentleman’s agreement” that allowed a rotation and resupply (RORE) mission to the BRP Sierra Madre to proceed without interference from the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) or its maritime militia last Feb. 2.

The Chinese embassy said Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año were aware of the negotiations and even gave their blessings to the final agreement.

The two Philippines officials have denied the embassy’s claim.

“China has always been committed to properly managing maritime differences through dialogue and consultation with the Philippines and has made relentless efforts in this regard. The ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ is a concrete outcome of such efforts,” the embassy said.

The AFP-WESCOM, which has jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea, is headed by Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, who was among those slightly wounded in a Chinese water cannon attack during a resupply mission in March.

The embassy said the CCG launched the water cannon attack in response to the Philippines’ reneging on its promise to stick to the agreement.

“To follow up on the important consensus between the two heads-of-state to deescalate tension in the South China Sea, the Chinese side and the Philippine side through AFP WESCOM agreed on a ‘new model’ for the management of the situation at Ren’ai Jiao early this year after multiple rounds of discussions,” the embassy said, referring to Ayungin Shoal by its name assigned by Beijing.

The Chinese embassy noted that the gentlemen’s agreement and the “new model” are both “confidence-building measure aimed at managing disputes, avoiding conflicts and maintaining peace” and had nothing to do with the sovereign positions of China and the Philippines in the WPS.

“During the