A dilapidated World War II-era vessel called the Sierra Madre, run aground on a tiny reef in the South China Sea, has emerged as a potential flash point that could trigger a regional war, with the Chinese coast guard repeatedly swarming and ramming Philippine vessels to stop them from resupplying the ship.
Beijing and Manila have now forged a provisional agreement that would allow the Philippines to take supplies out to the ship, in hopes that it will end the recent escalation in tensions in the contested waters of the South China Sea.
The intensifying territorial dispute had threatened to drag the United States, a security ally of the Philippines, into another global conflict.
“Both sides continue to recognize the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through peaceful means,” the Philippine Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday.
The Chinese foreign minister confirmed that the two sides had reached a “temporary arrangement on the transportation of humanitarian supplies” and to “jointly manage maritime differences and promote the cooling of the situation.”
The territorial dispute centers on Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over the vast majority of the South China Sea — claims that neighboring countries reject, leading some Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, to assert their economic and maritime interests.
Here’s how Beijing views this conflict.
