China again warns Philippine vessels supplying troops in disputed waters
FILE PHOTO: A Philippine flag flutters from BRP Sierra Madre, which is a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has been aground since 1999. Photograph:( Reuters )
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The Philippines said on Wednesday that it had successfully sent supplies to its troops stationed on a World War II-era transport ship-turned-military outpost on the atoll despite attempts by China's coast guard to block it
The Philippines said on Wednesday that it had successfully sent supplies to its troops stationed on a World War II-era transport ship-turned-military outpost on the atoll despite attempts by China's coast guard to block it
Amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Manila, China on Wednesday (Oct 5) said that it has again warned the Philippine vessels, which apparently were linked to a mission of supplying troops stationed in disputed waters in the South China Sea, South China Morning Post reported.
As per the report, China claimed that two Philippine supply boats and two coastguard vessels were spotted making an "unapproved" entry close to the Second Thomas Shoal, known as Renai Jiao in China.
As quoted, marine police spokesman Gan Yu said that the Chinese coastguard had "warned, followed and effectively regulated" the vessels.
He said that it would continue to carry out activities in the waters because China had "indisputable sovereignty" in the area.
"Philippine supply ships and two coast guard ships entered the waters ... in China's Nansha Islands without permission from the Chinese government," Gan said in a post on the official website, using China's name for the Spratly Islands.
Meanwhile, the Philippines said on Wednesday that it had successfully sent supplies to its troops stationed on a World War II-era transport ship-turned-military outpost on the atoll despite attempts by China's coast guard to block it.
It said that "a significant number of China's coastguard and maritime militia vessels" had attempted to "block, harass and interfere" with a routine rotation and resupply mission.
BRP Sierra Madre is a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has been aground since 1999. It became a Philippine military detachment on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.
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Tensions have escalated between Beijing and Manila in the aftermath of incidents, such as the intervention of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) resupply missions by China, announcing its "10-dash line" map, and setting up a floating barrier near the Scarborough Shoal.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said that the line on China's maps had no legal basis.
(With inputs from agencies)
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