Philippine, Chinese foreign officials meet over Ayungin Shoal resupply agreement

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Laos to reaffirm an agreement regarding resupply missions at Ayungin Shoal.

The Philippines conducted another incident-free reprovisioning mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal using a civilian vessel escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard on Saturday, July 27, despite several Chinese vessels monitoring the operation.

Manalo and Wang agreed that the provisional arrangement would not affect their respective territorial claims in the South China Sea but tensions arose over differing interpretations of the agreement's terms.

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza criticized China for mischaracterizing the Philippine resupply mission, emphasizing that Manila did not agree to prior notification or on-board inspection as requested by Beijing.

The Philippines remains committed to peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and consultation while urging China to adhere to the understanding negotiated between both nations.