China and the Philippines reach a deal they hope will end confrontations at the most fiercely disputed shoal in the South China Sea. The Philippines government announced the deal on Sunday without providing details.
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The rare deal with the Philippines could spark hope that similar arrangements could be forged between Beijing and other rival countries to avoid clashes while thorny territorial issues remain unresolved.
The Chinese coast guard and other forces have used powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking manoeuvres to prevent food and other supplies from reaching Filipino navy personnel at Manila’s outpost at the shoal.
The violent face-off wounded several Filipino navy personnel, including one who lost his thumb, in a chaotic skirmish that was captured in video and photos that were later made public by Philippine officials.
In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have been locked in separate but increasingly tense territorial disputes in the waterway, which is regarded as a potential flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the US-China regional rivalry.
The US military has deployed navy ships and fighter jets for decades in what it calls freedom of navigation and overflight patrols, which China has opposed and regards 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 and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
The original article contains 770 words, the summary contains 216 words. Saved 72%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The rare deal with the Philippines could spark hope that similar arrangements could be forged between Beijing and other rival countries to avoid clashes while thorny territorial issues remain unresolved.
The Chinese coast guard and other forces have used powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking manoeuvres to prevent food and other supplies from reaching Filipino navy personnel at Manila’s outpost at the shoal.
The violent face-off wounded several Filipino navy personnel, including one who lost his thumb, in a chaotic skirmish that was captured in video and photos that were later made public by Philippine officials.
In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have been locked in separate but increasingly tense territorial disputes in the waterway, which is regarded as a potential flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the US-China regional rivalry.
The US military has deployed navy ships and fighter jets for decades in what it calls freedom of navigation and overflight patrols, which China has opposed and regards 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 and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
The original article contains 770 words, the summary contains 216 words. Saved 72%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!