Philippines
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Philippines rejects China's claim BRP Sierra Madre repairs violate provisional understanding
Philippines rejects China's claim BRP Sierra Madre repairs violate provisional understanding
At A Glance
- The Philippines denied China's claim that repair and construction work on the BRP Sierra Madre violates the two countries' provisional understanding on Ayungin Shoal.
- Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said the arrangement contains no provision prohibiting repairs or construction on the grounded naval vessel.
- The clarification came days after another confrontation in Ayungin Shoal and China's allegation that the Philippines breached the agreement.
The Philippines has rejected China's claim that repairs and construction work on the BRP Sierra Madre violate the provisional understanding between Manila and Beijing on Ayungin Shoal, saying no such restriction exists in the agreement.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro made the clarification after Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan alleged that Philippine personnel were conducting construction activities on the grounded naval vessel, which he claimed ran contrary to the "spirit" of the provisional understanding governing rotation and resupply missions.
In a press briefing on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Pasay City on Thursday evening, July 23, Lazaro said repairs or construction on the BRP Sierra Madre were not covered by the said provisional understanding.
"No. There is no mention of that undertaking in the provisional understanding," she said.
She also said the Philippines and China have not discussed revising or reviewing the provisional understanding despite the latest developments in the West Philippine Sea.
"We have no discussion on the provisional understanding," Lazaro said.
Jing earlier claimed Chinese Coast Guard personnel approached the BRP Sierra Madre after observing what he described as the construction of "barrier nets" and other works on the ship, arguing that these were inconsistent with the provisional arrangement reached by the two sides.
The exchange followed Monday's confrontation at Ayungin Shoal, where the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that China Coast Guard personnel assaulted Philippine Navy personnel conducting a routine mission to the BRP Sierra Madre, leaving one serviceman injured and damaging a Philippine military rubber boat.
The Department of National Defense condemned the incident as another act of violence and harassment by Beijing.
President Marcos subsequently summoned Ambassador Jing to Malacañan, where he stressed that such incidents "should not happen again" and called for a reset in bilateral relations while pursuing dialogue to prevent further confrontations in the West Philippine Sea.
A day earlier, Lazaro also raised the latest Ayungin incident directly with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where she protested the Chinese Coast Guard's violent actions near the BRP Sierra Madre and other recent activities in the West Philippine Sea.
The provisional understanding, reached in 2024, was intended to reduce tensions by allowing the Philippines to conduct rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre without prejudice to either country's legal positions in the disputed waters, although both governments have kept the details of the arrangement confidential.
The BRP Sierra Madre, deliberately grounded on Ayungin Shoal in 1999, serves as the Philippines' military outpost within its exclusive economic zone, an area affirmed by the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, which China continues to reject.