 But the boat is crumbling, and China has repelled, sometimes violently, the Philippines' efforts to send supplies to the Navy personnel there on the boat. An agreement to supply the boat could de-escalate tensions, but the agreement is still provisional, with a spokesperson for the Philippines Coast Guard telling NPR there was still, quote, no schedule set for supplying the Philippines station. Emily Fang, NPR News, Taipei, Taiwan. This is NPR News in Washington.