AP, AFP and Xinhua

The newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday, July 23, 2024, p. 26

Manila. China and the Philippines reached an agreement yesterday that they hope will end the fighting in the most disputed atoll in the South China Sea, the Philippine government announced.

Both sides continue to recognise the need to de-escalate the situation in the region and manage differences through dialogue and consultation; it is agreed that the deal will not harm each other’s position in the South China Sea.the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said.

The agreement on the atoll, which the Filipinos call Ayungin and the Chinese Ren’ai Jiao, was reached after a series of meetings between diplomats in Manila and the exchange of diplomatic notes, but with neither side renouncing its territorial claims.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his country can’t give in in territorial disputes, following a series of escalating confrontations with Beijing.

Tensions ease

Without mentioning China, Marcos said the Philippines would continue Finding ways to ease tensions in disputed areas without compromising our position and principles.

A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented yesterday on the provisional agreement reached for handling the situation in the area.

The spokesman stressed that the atoll It is part of Nansha Qundao of China and that his country “has sovereignty over Ren’ai Jiao and the rest of Nansha Qundao, as well as their adjacent waters.”

On how to handle the current situation, China stated its position, which consists of several points, among which it demands that “the Philippines tow the warship (the BRP Sierra Madre) and restore Ren’ai Jiao’s status of hosting neither personnel nor facilities.”

Under the status of desert territory

At another point it was mentioned that If the Philippines sends a large amount of construction materials to the warship and tries to build fixed facilities or a permanent enclave, China will not accept it at all and will prevent it, but will allow a rescue mission to reach the ship..