China has escalated its pressure on the Philippines to remove its grounded warship from the Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed reef in the South China Sea, after a tense standoff between the two countries' coast guards over the weekend.
The Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines and Ren'ai Reef in China, is a submerged reef that is part of the Spratly Islands, a group of islands and reefs claimed by China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. The reef lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but China asserts its "indisputable" sovereignty over it and the rest of the South China Sea.
The Philippines has maintained a presence on the reef since 1999, when it deliberately ran aground a World War Two-era American ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, to serve as an outpost for its marines. The ship has been described as a "rusty" and "dilapidated" vessel that hosts a handful of troops who live on board.
On Saturday, August 5, 2023, a Philippine military supply ship was on its way to deliver food, water and other supplies to the troops on the BRP Sierra Madre, escorted by two Philippine coast guard vessels. However, they were blocked and harassed by four Chinese coast guard ships that fired water cannons at them and tried to intercept their path. The Philippine ships were forced to retreat and abort their mission.
The Philippine government condemned the Chinese action as a "clear violation" of its sovereignty and territorial rights, as well as of international law. It also accused China of "militarizing" the South China Sea and endangering regional peace and stability. It said it had lodged a diplomatic protest against China and called for its immediate wí†hdráwal from the area.
China, on the other hand, defended its "restrained" reaction and blamed the Philippines for provoking the incident. It said it had earlier warned the Philippines not to send ships to the Second Thomas Shoal and not to send "construction materials used for large-scale repair and reinforcement" to the BRP Sierra Madre. It said it had allowed the transport of daily necessities including food to the grounded ship, but it had used the water cannon to avoid collision from a direct interception.
China also demanded that the Philippines remove its warship from the reef and restore it to its original state. It said that the Philippines had "illegally occupied" the reef and violated China's sovereignty and maritime rights. It said that China would continue to safeguard its territorial integrity and national interests in accordance with law.
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