South China Sea: Manila demands US$1 million in damages from Beijing over June clash

The compensation that the Southeast Asian nation is seeking is just for the property damage and does not yet cover the injury to the sailor, Brawner said during a briefing in Manila.

Meanwhile, Chinese and Philippine diplomats agreed to ease South China Sea tensions but stood firm on their nations’ claims during a meeting on Tuesday.

Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong and Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro had “frank and constructive” discussions at a regular bilateral meeting on the South China Sea in Manila, according to the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs. A similar meeting among senior diplomats was held in Shanghai in January.

Both sides “affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions” and also “recognised that there is a need to restore trust,” according to Manila’s statement. It noted a “substantial progress” in steps to manage the situation at sea while saying that “significant differences” with Beijing remain.

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Chinese and Philippine ships clash in first incident under Beijing’s new coast guard law

Philippines navy spokesperson Roy Vincent Trinidad on Tuesday described the June 17 confrontation as the “most aggressive” action by Chinese forces in recent history.

Beijing and Manila also agreed on Tuesday to improve maritime communications, and will further discuss cooperation between their coastguards. The two nations also talked about possibly convening an academic forum on marine cooperation.