China urged to set deadline for Philippines to withdraw from Second Thomas Shoal

China should present time frame for withdrawal from the shoal and block supplies if Manila does not comply, says Wu Shicun

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The grounded BRP Sierra Madre has become the focus of increasing tension between Beijing and Manila at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Photo: AFP

Alyssa Chen

Published: 1:59pm, 17 Jul 2024Updated: 3:59am, 19 Jul 2024

Beijing should set a definitive time frame for Manila to withdraw from Second Thomas Shoal, a move that would be a big step towards ending the long-standing “cat-and-mouse game” over the contentious submerged reef, a leading Chinese maritime expert said.

Describing persistent confrontation over the shoal as “a bleeding wound”, Wu Shicun, founder of the Hainan-based National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told Chinese news outlet Guancha there was an urgent need to conclusively settle escalating tensions surrounding the reef.

“China’s delayed efforts to restore tranquillity on Second Thomas Shoal may embolden the Philippines to take risky actions, expanding its infringement activities in areas such as Sabina Shoal, Sandy Cay and Scarborough Shoal,” Wu said in the interview published on Wednesday.

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He urged China to “diplomatically present a time frame to the Philippines for its withdrawal from Second Thomas Shoal” and said the plan should specify the dates for military personnel to withdraw and plans for humanitarian aid during the transition period.

Over the past year and a half, the waters surrounding Second Thomas Shoal – known as Renai Reef in Chinese and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines – have been the stage for escalating tensions between Beijing and Manila.

The epicentre of the constant and increasingly fraught maritime stand-offs is a rusting World War II-era Philippine navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which is a strategic military outpost manned by a small contingent of Philippine troops.

In his remarks, Wu suggested China take a firmer stance once the deadline expired. He said Beijing might need to take decisive action to “prevent and block the Philippines from engaging in provocative and status quo-altering activities”, such as blocking maritime and airdropped resupplies to the reef, if Manila did not comply with the proposed time frame.

Beijing could impose a “temporary alert zone” in line with its Chinese coastguard law and new coastguard administrative procedures, outlining the area, duration and management measures for the alert zone, according to Wu.