Manila completes naval resupply run amid US-China friction

The Philippines has completed a resupply and rotation mission at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea without any confrontations with China, the South Asian country's Department of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.

This was Manila's first mission to the Second Thomas Shoal — which has been the site of violent clashes between the naval forces of China and the Philippines — since the two countries reached an agreement a week ago for the supply of daily necessities and rotation missions for Filipino troops.

US hails success, but slams China

The latest mission was carried out by a civilian vessel that was escorted by a Philippine Coast Guard, the department said.

"The lawful and routine rotation and resupply mission within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone is a credit to the professionalism of the men and women of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard," it said.

The success of the mission was praised by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in Laos for an ASEAN summit.

"We are pleased to take note of the successful resupply today," Blinken said, adding: "We applaud that and hope and expect to see that it continues going forward."

Blinken also hit out at what he called China's "escalatory and unlawful actions taken against the Philippines in the South China Sea over the last few months."

China warns Philippines against violations

While the "provisional arrangement" between the two countries seems to have alleviated hostilities at the shoal, the Philippines and China both said the agreement would not change their positions on territory.

China's top envoy, Wang Yi, told his Filipino counterpart on Friday that Beijing would "respond resolutely" if Manila breaches the agreement.

Wang called upon the Philippines to "honor its commitments" under the deal rather than "backtracking or creating complications," according to the minutes of his meeting with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo at the ASEAN summit in Laos.

"Otherwise, China will definitely respond resolutely," Wang said.

Manalo said he also hoped Beijing would keep its side of the bargain.

"I think that would be an important step forward in diffusing tensions and hopefully lead to other areas of cooperation on the South China Sea."

China claims the entire South China Sea as its territory — a claim vehemently contested by countries in the region and that, according to an international court ruling, has no legal basis.

China sour on US missile deployment in Philippines

In the ASEAN meeting, Wang also warned the Philippines over the deployment of intermediate-range US missiles and said such decisions could raise tensions between the two countries.

The US deployed its Typhon missile system in the Philippines as part of joint military exercises earlier this year.

"If the Philippines introduces the US intermediate-range missile system, it will create tension and confrontation in the region and trigger an arms race, which is completely not in line with the interests and wishes of the Filipino people," Wang said.

mfi/dj (AFP, AP, Reuters)