MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines’ foreign ministry accused China on Sunday of ‘mischaracterising’ an arrangement between them that allowed the unimpeded resupply of Filipino troops stationed on a beached naval vessel in the South China Sea.
After repeated clashes in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, the two countries reached a “provisional arrangement” earlier this month on resupply missions to soldiers stationed at the Sierra Madre, a naval vessel Manila deliberately grounded in 1999 to reinforce its maritime claims.
Philippine foreign ministry spokesperson Teresita Daza said on Saturday the resupply mission that day was completed without incident while Chinese coast guard vessels were at a “reasonable distance”.
However, her Chinese counterpart said that China’s coast guard was notified ahead of the mission and had “let the vessel through” after an “on-the-scene confirmation”.
Daza said on Sunday it was “unfortunate” China “mischaracterised” the resupply mission.
“Instead of acknowledging how two countries were able to manage differences in order to avoid miscalculation and misunderstanding, the spokesperson chose to misrepresent what has been agreed between the Philippines and China,” Daza said in a statement.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours.
Details of the arrangement between China and the Philippines have not been publicly released, but both countries have said the deal was aimed at easing tensions in the waterway.
“The understanding between the Philippines and China was concluded in good faith, with the explicit agreement that it will not prejudice national positions,” Daza said.
“It is not helpful to keep giving false notions about what has been agreed on and how they were implemented,” she added.
The Philippines’ South China Sea task force said in a separate statement on Sunday that Manila did not seek Chinese permission to resupply its soldiers.
“There was also no boarding and inspection by the Chinese Coast Guard,” the task force said.
Located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, China claims sovereignty over the Second Thomas Shoal. Last month, a Filipino navy sailor lost a finger after a confrontation between the Chinese coast guard and the Philippine navy.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory based on historic maps, a claim an arbitral tribunal in 2016 ruled had no basis under international law.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Michael Perry)