The Philippines and China have reached a "provisional arrangement" for resupplying a beached Philippine naval ship, the Sierra Madre, located on Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Sunday that the undisclosed agreement was reached following "frank and constructive discussions" between the two nations through the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism in July. Both parties agreed on the importance of reducing tensions in the South China Sea through dialogue and consultation. The agreement will not impact the territorial claims of either party in the disputed waters, DFA added. The Chinese Embassy in Manila has yet to provide any comment on the agreement. In 1999, Manila intentionally ran aground a Philippine naval ship to assert its control over the disputed waters near the shoal. Since then, a small group of sailors has been stationed there to uphold this claim. Philippine security officials will conduct resupply missions independently, rejecting the offer of assistance from the United States. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that the US is prepared to support the resupply of the Sierra Madre on the Second Thomas Shoal. However, Filipino officials, led by Eduardo Ano, have confirmed that the resupply mission will be solely handled by Philippine forces. "There is no need at this time for any direct involvement of US forces in RORE (resupply) mission," Ano said in a statement. The Philippines declined US assistance in its South China Sea operations, as reported by Reuters. Recent tensions in the contested area have escalated, leading to a violent clash last month where a Filipino soldier lost a finger in what Manila described as an intentional high-speed ramming by the China Coast Guard. The Philippine military remains firm on its stance, emphasizing that it will "exhaust all means" before seeking foreign intervention for resupply missions. Attribution: Reuters
