China on Friday expressed agency opposition over the Philippines’ newest resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal, which it claims and calls Ren’ai Reef.
In an announcement, the spokesperson of China Coast Guard mentioned two replenishment ships and two Coast Guard vessels from the Philippines entered the shoal’s neighborhood waters “without the permission of the Chinese government” and illegally transported development supplies to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre.
“China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, including the Ren’ai Reef, and its adjacent waters, and firmly opposes the illegal transportation of construction materials by the Philippines to the illegal grounded warship,” it mentioned.
It added that the China Coast Guard strictly warned, tracked, and monitored the Philippine vessels and “effectively regulated them.”
“The CCG will continue to carry out law enforcement activities in the sea areas under China’s jurisdiction according to law,” it additional mentioned.
Earlier within the day, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) introduced that it efficiently accomplished one other replenishment mission to troops stationed on the commissioned navy ship in Ayungin Shoal.
This is the third resupply mission after the August 5 incident the place the CCG used water cannons towards the Philippine Coast Guard fleet conducting the same mission.
Another resupply mission was carried out and accomplished on August 22.
A Philippine ship, BRP Sierra Madre, has been grounded on the Ayungin Shoal since 1999. The ship, which is manned by greater than a dozen marines and sailors, has turn out to be a logo of Philippine sovereignty within the offshore territory.
Ayungin Shoal is a part of the Kalayaan Island Group, which is an integral a part of the Philippines, in addition to the Philippines’ unique financial zone and continental shelf, over which the nation has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction.
Former US Air Force official and ex-Defense Attaché Ray Powell, who has been monitoring the mission, earlier within the day mentioned Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships BRP Cabra and BRP Sindangan escorted the resupply boats.
Powell additionally mentioned two China Coast Guard ships and 10 maritime militia vessels had been “blocking” entrance to Ayungin Shoal.
“Previous resupply missions encountered ‘dark’ China Coast Guard ships (not broadcasting automatic information system, or AIS). Unclear if dark ships present today, but forward deployment of so many militia ships suggests fewer CCG than before,” Powell mentioned on X, previously often known as Twitter.
Humanitarian causes
Last month, the Chinese authorities mentioned they solely allowed Manila’s resupply mission for “humanitarian reasons” — an announcement the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rejected.