BEIJING : China’s coast guard stated the Philippines on Friday (Jan 24) despatched a civilian vessel to ship provisions to its warship “illegally grounded” at Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed atoll within the South China Sea.
The coast guard “questioned” and “monitored” the Philippine vessel all through its provide mission, it stated in an announcement, including it might proceed to hold out “rights safety and legislation enforcement actions” within the Spratly Islands and its surrounding waters.
In its assertion, the Philippine Division of Overseas Affairs stated the nation had rotated personnel of the BRP Sierra Madre and despatched provisions to the vessel with out incident.
China and the Philippines have traded barbs for months over manoeuvres at Second Thomas Shoal, an atoll inside Manila’s 200-nautical-mile Unique Financial Zone (EEZ) within the South China Sea.
“China hopes the Philippine facet will honour its commitments, work collectively to handle maritime points, and collectively keep stability,” the coast guard stated.
