Philippines 'undermines China's goodwill' by hinting possible review of provisional arrangement

Chinese analysts warned that Manila is likely to be more proactive in the South China Sea to undermine the goodwill of China in calming tensions, after a senior official from the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said a provisional arrangement on humanitarian resupply of living necessities to a Philippine warship illegally grounded at Ren'ai Reef may be subject to future review.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro said the understanding with China did not compromise the Philippines' South China Sea position and could be re-evaluated if needed. "The review will be there. When that will be is subject to further discussion," Lazaro told Reuters on the sidelines of a congressional hearing.

The provisional arrangement with the Philippines on humanitarian resupply of living necessities to a Philippine warship illegally grounded at Ren'ai Reef was reached in July after China engaged in a series of consultations with the Philippines on managing the situation at Ren'ai Reef.

The two sides agreed to jointly manage differences on maritime issues and work toward de-escalation in the South China Sea, which observers regard as a promising step to calm tensions in the region.

The comment from the senior Philippines official and the recent provocations in other islands of South China Sea clearly reflects that the Philippines has no intention to diminish the tensions, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The Philippines is planning to send a second coast guard vessel to anchor in the lagoon in China's Xianbin Jiao (also known as Xianbin Reef) in the South China Sea in an attempt to construct a forward deployment base in the form of a semi-permanent floating platform, the Global Times learned from a source familiar with the matter on Wednesday.

Manila is attempting to expand its illegal occupation of China's Xianbin Jiao, a move that seriously violates China's territorial sovereignty, Chinese experts said, noting that China will not let this take place.

Manila does not cherish China's efforts to deescalate the tension by allowing humanitarian resupply of living necessities to the Philippine warship illegally grounded at Ren'ai Reef, and is even behaving boldly by inciting a series of flare-ups over the South China Sea, Chen said.

"Manila's strategy is in line with the US' 'Indo-Pacific Strategy.' We should be vigilant in case Manila takes more small steps clandestinely to incite tension and attempt to bargain with China," Chen said.

A Philippine Air Force NC-212 aircraft illegally intruded into the airspace over Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea on August 8, interfering with China's regular training activities despite repeated warnings from the Chinese side.

However, the Philippine Navy criticized the recent actions of the Chinese air force as "coercive, aggressive, and deceptive", media reports said.

"It is an old trick of the Philippines, taking a blatant provocation first and then portraying itself as a victim to the international community to gain sympathy," Chen said.

In light of the "cunning" tactics of the Philippines, observers emphasized the importance for China to maintain its redline.

In the event of additional provocations, China should increase surveillance not only around Ren'ai Reef but also at Xianbin Reef, Huangyan Island and other areas in the South China Sea.