China-Philippines clashes test ASEAN’s South China Sea diplomacy

Two confrontations between Chinese and Philippine personnel during the week of July 20 put ASEAN’s South China Sea diplomacy under pressure as the regional bloc and China worked toward a target of concluding a maritime code of conduct by the end of 2026.

On July 24, Chinese coast guard vessels used water cannons against two Philippine government fisheries vessels near Scarborough Shoal, according to Associated Press reporting. The encounter took place while ASEAN foreign ministers met in Manila from July 20 through July 24.

What happened near Scarborough Shoal

The Philippine coast guard said a Chinese coast guard ship approached one Philippine fisheries vessel to within about seven meters and described the maneuver as dangerous because it created a serious risk of collision. Philippine officials also said Scarborough Shoal and its surrounding waters fall within the Philippines’ territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.

China’s coast guard gave a different account. It said several Philippine ships had gathered in the area, ignored warnings and were expelled through interception measures and water cannons. The accounts conflict, and the available reporting does not independently resolve responsibility for the encounter.

The separate July 20 incident near Second Thomas Shoal

The July 24 episode was separate from a July 20 confrontation near Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal. The area is associated with the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded Philippine naval vessel used as a military outpost.

The Philippine military alleged that Chinese coast guard personnel struck a Filipino sailor on the head with a wooden baton, injuring him and damaging a smaller Philippine boat. China said two Philippine rubber boats rammed a Chinese patrol vessel and accused Philippine personnel of attacking Chinese law-enforcement officers with oars and long sticks. Those accounts also remain disputed.

What ASEAN said in Manila

ASEAN’s July 21 joint communiqué did not publicly assign blame to a specific country. It said some ministers expressed concern about land reclamation, activities and serious incidents that put people’s safety at risk, along with damage to the marine environment.

The communiqué said those developments had eroded trust, increased tensions and could undermine regional peace, security and stability. Ministers reaffirmed the need for self-restraint, peaceful dispute resolution under international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. They also emphasized safety, freedom of navigation and avoiding actions that could further complicate disputes.

ASEAN said negotiations on a South China Sea code of conduct had made significant progress and called for continued efforts to conclude an effective and substantive agreement within 2026.

The year-end code-of-conduct target

Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said on July 24 that ASEAN and China aim to conclude the South China Sea code of conduct by the end of 2026. According to the Philippine Information Agency, negotiators have met every month since January, and the recent incidents near Ayungin and Scarborough shoals have entered the discussions.

The agreement has not been completed or approved. Negotiators are still discussing its geographic scope, legal nature and relationship to the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

As of July 28, the practical test for ASEAN is whether its diplomatic process can produce restraint at sea while negotiations continue. Repeated encounters raise the risk of injuries, equipment damage and a wider crisis before any code is finalized. The next developments to watch are whether the parties report concrete de-escalation measures and whether the year-end negotiating target survives further confrontations.

Sources

Look for updates to this story

Discover more from Interactive News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.