Philippines Denies Agreement with China on South China Sea Dispute
The Philippines has denied a claim by China that the two countries had reached an agreement over their escalating maritime dispute in the South China Sea. The Philippine Defense Secretary called the claim "propaganda" and stated that the Philippines would never enter into any agreement that would compromise its claims in the waterway.
The dispute centers around the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef that the Philippines claims is within its exclusive economic zone. China also claims the reef, and the two countries have repeatedly clashed there in recent months.
The Philippines has accused China of blocking maneuvers and firing water cannons at its vessels to disrupt supply missions to Filipino soldiers stationed in a naval ship which Manila deliberately grounded in 1999 to bolster its maritime claims.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its claims overlap with those of the Philippines and four other nations. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said China's claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing rejects.
The Philippine Defense Secretary stated that his department was "not aware of, nor is it a party to, any internal agreement with China" since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in 2022. Defense Department officials have not spoken to any Chinese officials since last year.
China's Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Philippine Defense Secretary's statement.