Don’t complicate situation, China tells PH

CHINA urged the Philippines to stick by a provisional agreement reached between the two countries and not cause any problem during resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal (Chinese name Ren’ai Jiao).

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued the statement after the Department of Foreign Affairs branded as “inaccurate” its claim about prior notification and on-site confirmation” of Philippine rotation and resupply operations (RoRe) to Filipino troops at the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin.

China did not deny the DFA’s statement and instead said the provisional agreement “is an active effort China made to keep the situation under control.”

It also said that China will defend its sovereignty and rights and interests in the area.

“We take note that the Philippine side said it’s ready to implement the arrangement it reached with China. We hope the Philippines will keep its word. We call on the Philippines to not to backpedal, not to create problems, and not to do anything that would complicate the situation,” MOFA Spokesperson Mao Ning said.

Earlier, Beijing said the two countries “reached a provisional arrangement with the Philippines on humanitarian resupply of living necessities.”

“The two sides agreed to jointly manage maritime differences and work for de-escalation in the South China Sea,” it added.

Beijing has remained firm in its stance that the presence of BRP Sierra Madre violates its sovereignty and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

But the DFA said Manila will continue to assert its rights and jurisdiction in its maritime zones as entitled under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including in Ayungin Shoal.

The DFA has yet to comment on China’s latest statement on the issue.

Ayungin Shoal is located 106.3 nautical miles from Palawan, well within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

On the other hand, it is 617.39 nautical miles from the Chinese mainland, clearly beyond the 200-nautical mile maximum maritime entitlement for an EEZ under the UNCLOS.

China considers almost the entire South China Sea, including waters referred to by the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea,