South China Sea: Philippines resupplies Second Thomas Shoal troops despite Beijing’s attempts to ‘harass’

Manila said a ‘significant number’ of Chinese vessels tried to stop the latest mission delivering provisions to troops stationed at a crumbling warship

China said its coastguard warned the Philippine boats to leave the area and followed them throughout

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Chinese coastguard ships anchored inside the lagoon of the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:07am, 5 Oct 2023

The Philippines said it has successfully shipped fresh supplies to a military outpost in a shoal in the South China Sea despite what it described as attempts by Chinese vessels “to block, harass and interfere” with the mission.

A “significant number” of Chinese coastguard and maritime militia vessels tried to stop the latest resupply mission carried out by the Philippine military and coastguard on Wednesday, Manila’s National Security Council said in a statement.

China said it warned two Philippine supply boats and two coastguard vessels to leave the sea area near Nansha Islands on Wednesday and followed the ships throughout, according to a statement from the Chinese coastguard.

Nansha Islands is how Beijing calls Spratly Islands in the South China Sea that is being claimed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan.

The Philippines has been regularly shipping provisions to a World War II-era ship in Second Thomas Shoal that has served as its outpost in the disputed sea since 1999. But Manila has said China’s coastguard and maritime militia ships had constantly tried to block these missions and the Philippines has been publishing videos and images of these encounters to back up its claims.

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