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1 [1] (December 13, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govensg0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service inkurning the Ieg~sIat~ve debdie since 1914 December 13, 2023 China-Philippines Tensions in the South China Sea Overvi ew In 2023, the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) has increased pressure on the Philippines to abandon one of its nine outposts in the Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea (SCS) and attempted to deny Philippine vessels access to parts of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that China claims as its own territory. The escalation of longstanding Sino-Philippine tensions raises the possibility of a crisis or conflict involving China, the Philippines, and potentially the United States. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was elected in 2022, has taken a considerably more public stance in challenging China's expansive claims in the SCS than his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos has also expanded military cooperation with the United States under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which aims to support U.S. strategic interests in the region and the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Rnsing Tensions at Second Thornas Shoal Second Thomas Shoal (Tagalog: Ayungin Shoal), an atoll in the Spratly Island chain, has been a flashpoint among the broad disputes over sovereignty in the South China Sea (Figure 1). The Philippines posts a small cadre of its marines on a now-derelict Philippine Navy ship, the Sierra Madre, which it grounded on the shoal in 1999 as part of its efforts to protect its maritime claims. Since 2013, China has increased its presence near the shoal as part of its attempt to end the Philippines' occupation there. Second Thomas Shoal is a low-tide elevation (meaning it is fully submerged at high tide) located roughly 105 nautical miles (nm) from the Philippine island of Palawan, 620 nm from the PRC, and 22 nm from Mischief Reef, a low-tide elevation in the Spratlys where the PRC maintains an outpost. The PRC government claims that Joseph Estrada (president of the Philippines from 1998-2001) promised to remove the Sierra Madre, which the Marcos government denies. In 2023, PRC Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels have interfered with Philippine boats conducting resupply missions to the Sierra Madre. Among the most notable incidents, in February 2023, a PRC coast guard vessel targeted a Philippine coast guard boat with a military-grade laser, reportedly temporarily blinding some crew members. In August, PRC coast guard and maritime militia vessels fired a water cannon and took other actions to obstruct Philippine boats near the shoal. In October, PRC coast guard and maritime militia vessels surrounded and collided with a Philippine coast guard vessel and another supply vessel. The incident reportedly was the first time Philippine officials stated their vessels were struck by PRC ships. In December 2023, China engaged in what the Philippine government called a serious escalation of aggression in the South China Sea. PRC vessels reportedly swarmed the area near Second Thomas Shoal and harassed, blocked, and executed dangerous maneuvers, resulting in a collision between a PRC coast guard ship and a Philippine boat on a resupply mission. Each side accused the other of ramming one of its vessels. Since 2012, the PRC has also harassed and blockaded Philippine fishing boats operating near Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing area for both countries (as well as others). In December 2023, the PRC Coast Guard deployed a water cannon on Philippine vessels attempting to deliver provisions to Filipino fishermen near the shoal, reportedly damaging the engine of one boat. Figure I. South China Sea and Disputed Areas China's Nine-Dash Line Island and shoal representations have been enlarged for the purposes of visibility. Source: CRS. Boundaries from U.S. Department of State. A spokesperson for the China Coast Guard stated its December 2023 actions were professional, standardized, legitimate, and legal. Despite PRC efforts, the Philippines reportedly has successfully resupplied the Sierra Madre on several occasions in 2023. The U.S. State Department has issued multiple statements critical of PRC actions and supportive of the Philippines' right to operate in waters around Second Thomas Shoal. On October 22, 2023, the State Department reaffirmed U.S. obligations to the Philippines pursuant to the two countries' 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. President Marcos assumed office pledging to defend the country's sovereign rights, but also to work with China. In January 2023, during a visit to Beijing, he and PRC leader Xi Jinping announced a hotline to manage tensions and