Philippine Navy personnel assisting injured counterpart after China Coast Guard vessel rammed Philippine RHIB during June 17th resupply mission (Photo: X/@TeamAFP)
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Agreement in the Balance: Philippines and China Address South China Sea Resupply Protocols
On July 21st, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that the Philippines and China reached a "provisional agreement" regarding the resupply missions to the Second Thomas Shoal. The announcement, dated July 19th, provided scant details other than that both sides reached the agreement after discussions during the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (SCS) in early July 2024.