The News
China and the Philippines have agreed to open an emergency hotline between their presidential offices to prevent tensions in the South China Sea from spiraling out of control in a crisis.
The agreement will establish crisis communications at the highest level after repeated incidents in disputed areas of the South China Sea, The Associated Press and Philippine news outlet GMA News reported on Tuesday.
The Philippines and China both lay claim to strategically important islands and shoals in the South China Sea. While an international court dismissed Beijing’s claims to the territory, this has not stopped China from ramping up its patrols of the contested waters. In June, Chinese forces reportedly wielding knives and spears boarded two Philippine navy boats, wounding several Filipino seamen.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs told The Associated Press in a statement that “there was substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea,” although “serious differences remain.”
Indo-Pacific expert Derek Grossman welcomed the news, but warned in a post on X that “Beijing either doesn’t pick up the phone or has no immediate answers during a crisis.” Last year, Philippine officials complained that when they tried to use a different hotline, China did not answer.