Dispute Over Second Thomas Shoal in Spratly Islands, South China Sea
International Tribunal Rejects China's Territorial Claim but... Persistent Sovereignty Assertion
The leaders of the Philippines and China, who have been clashing over sovereignty in the South China Sea, met to discuss ways to ease tensions.
According to major foreign media on the 18th, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping met separately at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in San Francisco, USA, to discuss ways to ease tensions in the South China Sea. President Marcos revealed the meeting but did not mention specific details, adding that the two leaders agreed that geopolitical issues should not be the determining factor in bilateral relations.
Since the beginning of this year, China and the Philippines have frequently clashed over the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea. China claims that 90% of the South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands, is its territorial waters. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled against China’s claims, but China continues to insist on its sovereignty. The Philippines has stationed marines and supplied provisions on the Second Thomas Shoal, citing the justification of protecting its grounded naval vessel since 1999.
Recently, several clashes occurred over the supply of provisions by the Philippines. Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannons to block the approach of Philippine supply ships and demanded prior notification when supplying goods in the South China Sea region. In response, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs stated that there is no need to notify China in advance of legitimate supply activities within its territorial waters and rejected such demands. The Philippines also urged China to remove all illegal structures within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and to stop land reclamation.
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