Chinese and Philippine officials meet for South China Sea talks after series of recent clashes

Chinese and Philippine officials met to discuss the South China Sea on Tuesday, even as Beijing accused Manila of "undermining peace and stability" in the disputed waters.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo confirmed the talks - the first of their kind since January - were taking place in Manila and said he was "hoping for the best", news portal rappler.com reported.

Last week he had said he hoped talks between the two sides would help manage tensions.

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The two sides have been involved in a series of confrontations in the disputed waters this year.

These include an incident where Chinese coastguards intercepted a Philippine naval mission to resupply troops stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal on June 17, leading to clashes in which a Philippine sailor lost a thumb.

The Chinese intervention was the first since new rules came into force allowing them to carry out "boarding inspections" in waters China claims as its own.

Manila said the Chinese coastguards had been armed with machetes and knives, and Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said their actions had been "deliberate, planned and escalatory" and the "most aggressive" in recent years.

Since then the two sides have continued to trade accusations, most recently with Beijing accusing the Philippines of "undermining peace and stability" for sending supplies to a coastguard vessel stranded at Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands on Monday.

China said it had "followed and supervised the whole process" as three Philippine coastguard vessels "transferred personnel and materials" to the "illegally stranded" ship.

The coastguard statement released on Tuesday afternoon asserted Beijing's "indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and its adjacent waters, including Xianbin Reef" - the Chinese names for the Spratly chain and the reef.

It also accused the stranded Philippine vessel of "violating China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests".

It went on to say that the Chinese coastguard would "safeguard rights and enforce the law in the waters under its jurisdiction and resolutely defend China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests".

The Shandong aircraft carrier has been spotted in the region. Photo: Weibo/ 央广军事 alt=The Shandong aircraft carrier has been spotted in the region. Photo: Weibo/ 央广军事>

Sabina Shoal - which is disputed between the two sides and Vietnam - also serves as the meeting point for Philippine vessels on resupply missions to troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, a second world war vessel deliberately grounded on Second Thomas Shoal to assert Manila's territorial claims.

Second Thomas Shoal has been the scene of repeated clashes between the two sides in recent years, with Chinese coastguards regularly blocking resupply missions to the reef. Beijing is worried that these missions could be used to transfer construction materials to fortify the ageing ship and bolster the Philippine presence there.

Meanwhile, Manila has accused Beijing of attempting to create an "artificial island" at Sabina Shoal - which is 75 nautical miles (140km) from the Philippine island of Palawan.

China has rejected the claims and is concerned that the other side is trying to build an outpost on the reef.

Meanwhile, Beijing has been building up its presence in the South China Sea over the past couple of weeks.

The 12,000-tonne Ship 5901 - which is believed to be the world's largest coastguard vessel - has been spotted near Second Thomas Shoal and the Philippine-controlled Thitu island, while the Shandong aircraft carrier has been spotted around 200 nautical miles off Luzon, the country's largest island.

On Tuesday the Philippine Navy said it was "aware of" both ships.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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