PH, China agree on ‘provisional arrangement’ for resupply missions

MANILA and Beijing have reached an agreement for the rotation and resupply mission (RoRe) to Filipino troops manning the grounded Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

“The Philippines and the People’s Republic of China have reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement for the resupply of daily necessities and rotation (RoRe) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal,” the DFA said in a statement last night.

“This was achieved after a series of consultations following the frank and constructive discussions between the two sides during the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea in Manila on 2 July 2024,” the DFA added.

The DFA said “that both sides continue to recognize the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation and agree that the agreement will not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea.”

But the department has yet to provide additional details. The Chinese Embassy in Manila also has yet to issue a statement.

The BCM was held two weeks after a violent confrontation took place between Chinese and Filipino personnel during a similar RoRe run to Ayungin.

Chinese coast guard personnel brandished knives and other bladed weapons while their vessel rammed a Filipino rigid hull inflatable boat.

A Filipino sailor lost his thumb in the incident while Chinese Coast Guard personnel punctured the Navy’s RHIB and took away seven firearms.

Armed Forces chief Lt. General Romeo Brawner said the two RHIB sustained P60 million in damages.

The incident, along with previous Chinese harassment of Filipino vessels in the area, prompted condemnation and concerns from the United States, Japan, the European Union, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and many other countries.

Washington also reiterated its commitment to come to Manila’s aid should its ally come under attack based on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

The latest agreement could help ease tension in the area, a major flashpoint that experts said could lead to a military conflict.

During the BCM, DFA Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and his Chinese counterpart, Vice Foreign