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China says Marcos gov’t broke ‘new’ Ayungin pact
China insisted it had reached an “internal understanding” and a “new model” to deescalate tension at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea with the Philippines, but said that the Marcos administration “abandoned” it seven months later.
The statement, made by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Thursday, came a week after Beijing and former President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed they had a “gentleman’s agreement” to keep the “status quo” in the West Philippine Sea, with his government consenting to China’s demands not to repair or reinforce the military’s outpost at Ayungin—the decrepit World War II-era warship, BRP Sierra Madre.
‘Unilaterally abandoned’
The agreement was “no secret” as “relevant departments and agencies” on both sides were guided by it in “effectively maintaining peace and stability at Ren’ai Jiao,” the Chinese name for Ayungin, until early February 2023, the statement said.
Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in 2022, the embassy said that the Chinese side “repeatedly briefed” his administration regarding the agreement, “made representations” on the Ayungin issue and “remained committed” to finding ways to manage the “differences” between the Philippines and China through dialogue and consultation.
“In addition to the meetings of China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM), the Chinese side invited the Envoy of the President to China for Special Concerns of the Philippines [Teodoro Locsin Jr.] to Beijing last September to discuss how to properly manage the situation at Ren’ai Jiao, which resulted in an internal understanding,” the statement said.
China insisted it had reached an “internal understanding” and a “new model” to deescalate tension at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea with the Philippines, but said that the Marcos administration “abandoned” it seven months later.
The statement, made by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Thursday, came a week after Beijing and former President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed they had a “gentleman’s agreement” to keep the “status quo” in the West Philippine Sea, with his government consenting to China’s demands not to repair or reinforce the military’s outpost at Ayungin—the decrepit World War II-era warship, BRP Sierra Madre.
‘Unilaterally abandoned’
The agreement was “no secret” as “relevant departments and agencies” on both sides were guided by it in “effectively maintaining peace and stability at Ren’ai Jiao,” the Chinese name for Ayungin, until early February 2023, the statement said.
Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in 2022, the embassy said that the Chinese side “repeatedly briefed” his administration regarding the agreement, “made representations” on the Ayungin issue and “remained committed” to finding ways to manage the “differences” between the Philippines and China through dialogue and consultation.
“In addition to the meetings of China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM), the Chinese side invited the Envoy of the President to China for Special Concerns of the Philippines [Teodoro Locsin Jr.] to Beijing last September to discuss how to properly manage the situation at Ren’ai Jiao, which resulted in an internal understanding,” the statement said.
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