To reduce South China Sea friction, Beijing and Manila need it in writing

Sophie Wushuang Yi holds a PhD in Chinese studies (international relations) from King's College London, where she specialised in Sino-US relations, military and strategic studies, and China-sea" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8346" data-entity-type="location">South China Sea geopolitics.As the Philippines hosted Southeast Asian foreign ministers in late July, the sea would not stay quiet. On July 20, Chinese and Philippine crews fought beside the BRP Sierra Madre with oars and batons; one Filipino sailor was reportedly injured while each side blamed the other.Days later, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the security forum, Philippine vessels went to the Scarborough Shoal. Manila said Chinese ships used water cannons on Philippine ships, while Beijing said it drove off vessels that had ignored repeated warnings.Rather than focusing on who moved first, the more useful question is the point of contention: the BRP Sierra Madre – a 1944 tank landing ship grounded on the reef in 1999 – is reportedly collapsing. Its state is debated; the severity is not. Chinese analysts claim the hull has large holes and is taking on water.