• The deal was reached after meetings between Philippine and Chinese diplomats and exchanges of diplomatic notes.
• The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
• The South China Sea is considered a potential flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the US-China regional rivalry.

The Philippine government announced on Sunday that China and the Philippines have reached a deal aimed at ending confrontations at the most fiercely disputed shoal in the South China Sea. The Philippines occupies the Second Thomas Shoal, which China also claims. Increasingly hostile clashes at sea have raised concerns about potential larger conflicts involving the United States.

The crucial deal was reached on Sunday following a series of meetings between Philippine and Chinese diplomats in Manila and exchanges of diplomatic notes. The aim was to establish a mutually acceptable arrangement at the shoal, known as Ayungin in the Philippines and Ren’ai Jiao in China, without conceding either side’s territorial claims.

Two Philippine officials with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The government later issued a brief statement announcing the deal but did not provide further details.

“Both sides continue to recognize the need to deescalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation and agree that the agreement will not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea,” the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said.

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had discussed the management of the situation at Ren’ai Jiao with the Philippines and reached a provisional arrangement for the humanitarian resupply of living necessities. Neither side has released the text of the agreement.

Chinese coast guard and other forces have used powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers to prevent food and other supplies from reaching Filipino navy personnel stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, a long-grounded and rusting warship at Manila’s outpost at the shoal. The territorial standoff has flared repeatedly over the years.

In the worst confrontation, Chinese forces on motorboats repeatedly rammed and boarded two Philippine navy boats on June 17 to prevent Filipino personnel from transferring food, other supplies, and firearms to the ship outpost in the shallows of the shoal, according to the Philippine government.

The Chinese seized the Philippine navy boats and damaged them with machetes and improvised spears. They also confiscated seven M4 rifles, which were packed in cases, along with other supplies. The violent clash injured several Filipino navy personnel, including one who lost his thumb. The chaotic skirmish was captured on video and in photos later released by Philippine officials. China and the Philippines each blamed the other for the confrontation and asserted their sovereign rights over the shoal.

The United States and its key Asian and Western allies, including Japan and Australia, condemned the Chinese actions at the shoal. They called for upholding the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, a vital global trade route with rich fishing areas and undersea gas deposits.

In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan have been involved in separate but increasingly tense territorial disputes in the South China Sea. This waterway is considered a potential flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the US-China regional rivalry. For decades, the US military has deployed Navy ships and fighter jets for what it calls freedom of navigation and overflight patrols. China opposes these actions, viewing them as a threat to regional stability.

Washington has no territorial claims in the disputed waters but has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships, or aircraft come under armed attack, including in the South China Sea. One of the two Philippine officials stated that the June 17 confrontation prompted Beijing and Manila to expedite on-and-off talks aimed at preventing confrontations at Second Thomas Shoal. During final meetings over the last four days, negotiators removed two key Chinese demands that had been sticking points in the draft deal.