Beijing and Manila set up hotline to avoid clashes in the South China Sea

• The agreement is a response to the persistent territorial disputes, which have sparked fears of a larger armed conflict.
• The Philippine military met with US Gen. Charles Brown Jr. to discuss ways to enhance defense ties.
• The agreement also includes a plan to establish a new communication channel between the Chinese and Philippine coast guards.

According to highlights of the accord seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday, a recently signed agreement will establish a direct line of communication between the presidential offices of China and the Philippines. This aims to prevent any new confrontation from escalating out of control in the disputed South China Sea.

In the past, China and the Philippines have established emergency telephone hotlines at lower levels to enhance the management of disputes, especially in two fiercely contested shoals. The Philippines has accused Chinese forces of increasingly hostile actions in these areas, while China has claimed that Philippine ships have encroached despite repeated warnings.

Since last year, the territorial disputes have persisted, sparking fears of a larger armed conflict that could involve the United States. The US has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, a key Asian treaty ally, if Filipino forces come under attack in the disputed waters.

The Philippine military said on Tuesday that US Gen. Charles Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner in Manila. They discussed ways to enhance defense ties, improve the militaries’ joint operational capabilities, and ensure regional security.

During a confrontation between Chinese and Philippine forces at the Philippines-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in August 2023, the Philippine government reported that it could not reach Chinese officials through an established “maritime communication mechanism” for several hours. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arranged that emergency telephone hotline after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in January 2023.

Chinese and Philippine officials handling the territorial disputes convened in Manila on July 2, following a violent confrontation at the Second Thomas Shoal. During the incident, Chinese coast guard personnel reportedly used knives, an axe, and improvised spears, resulting in injuries to Philippine navy personnel. General Brawner stated that Chinese forces also seized seven Philippine navy rifles and demanded that China return the firearms and compensate for damages.

After the talks in Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila stated that both sides “recognized the need to strengthen the bilateral maritime communication mechanism on the South China Sea” and signed an arrangement “on improving Philippines-China maritime communication mechanisms.” However, the department did not provide a copy or details of the agreement.

A copy of the agreement’s highlights, seen by the AP, said it “provides several channels for communication between the Philippines and China, specifically on maritime issues, through the representatives to be designated by their leaders.”

The hotline talks could also be done “through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs counterparts, including at the foreign minister and vice foreign minister levels or through their designated representatives,” it said, and added without elaborating that Philippine official was “in discussions with the Chinese side on the guidelines that will govern the implementation of this arrangement.”

According to the agreement, there was also a plan to establish a new communication channel between the Chinese and Philippine coast guards “once the corresponding memorandum of understanding” between them is finalized. During the talks in Manila, China and the Philippines agreed on two other confidence-boosting measures: intensifying cooperation between their respective coast guard authorities and potentially convening a maritime forum between Chinese and Philippine scientists and academic leaders.

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