The News
China and the Philippines reached a “tentative arrangement” over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea that, for weeks, had been the site of standoff between the Chinese coast guard and the Philippine navy and civilian boats, Manila announced Sunday.
The deal allows the Philippines to keep resupplying a deliberately beached ship that Filipino sailors have continued to work on in an effort to maintain the country’s territorial claim. China — which controversially claims sovereignty over the entire South China Sea — has been harassing Philippine resupply missions to the beached ship by ramming vessels, firing water cannons, and, at one point, reportedly boarding a Philippine vessel.
The deal could “spark hope” of Beijing reaching deals with other countries in the region that have similar disputes, including Malaysia and Vietnam, although it remains to seen if this agreement will work in practice, The Associated Press reported.