Philippines says China is ‘the trespasser’ as it refuses to move ship from disputed South China Sea shoal

Philippines Beijing’s demands to move Sierra Madre from Second Thomas Shoal after incident in which Chinese coastguard fired water cannons on resupply ships

Meanwhile, foreign secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr praises Manila’s relationship with Japan and others question President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘appeasement’ of China

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An aerial view of the Philippine Sierra Madre vessel that has been grounded at the Second Thomas Shoal since 1999 to assert its sovereignty. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:49pm, 25 Nov 2021Updated: 10:46pm, 25 Nov 2021

The Philippines has rejected a demand from China that it remove a naval vessel grounded on a shoal in the South China Sea that has been the centre of heated exchanges between the two countries in recent days.

Philippine defence chief Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday said Beijing’s demand that it remove the BRP Sierra Madre from the Second Thomas Shoal – part of the disputed Spratly chain of islands – was “baseless” and it was China that was the “trespasser” in the area.

The Philippines deliberately ran aground the vessel at the shoal – which is claimed by various other nations – in 1999, in response to the Chinese reclamation of Mischief Reef. It has kept a small group of navy personnel based on the 100 metre, US-built landing craft ever since to underline its claim that the shoal is within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Manila says that in recent days Chinese coastguard ships blocked two Philippine boats from resupplying the troops on the Sierra Madre, firing water cannons at them. Manila responded to the incident by warning Beijing that its supply vessels were covered by its defence treaty with the United States.

On Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian shot back by saying China demanded “that the Philippine side honour its commitment and remove its illegally grounded vessel from Ren’ai Jiao ... This position remains unchanged.”

China refers to the Second Thomas Shoal as “Ren’ai Jiao”; Manila calls it “Ayungin”.

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