The Philippine military yesterday said that Chinese boats illegally “seized” food and medicine airdropped to a Filipino outpost in the South China Sea.
The alleged incident happened on May 19 at Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙) in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), where Filipino troops are garrisoned on a grounded navy vessel to assert Manila’s claims to the waters.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, and there has been a series of confrontations involving Chinese and Philippine vessels near contested reefs, often during Philippine resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal.
Photo: AFP / Armed Forces of the Philppines
The Philippine military accused China of “aggressive and unprovoked interference” when two Chinese rigid-hulled inflatable boats allegedly came within 10m of the Sierra Madre vessel and seized an airdropped package meant for Filipino troops.
It was the first time supplies had been seized, the military said.
“This action of getting or confiscating our supplies is illegal,” Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner told reporters.
“You’re not supposed to confiscate the supplies of another country, even in war,” he said.
Chinese personnel on board the boats later dumped the items in the water, Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said.
It was not clear if they belonged to the Chinese coast guard or navy, the military said.
The Filipino troops were able to retrieve most of the items that were airdropped that day, it said.
China hit back yesterday, insisting that the Sierra Madre was illegally grounded on the reef and urging the Philippines to “stop making trouble.”
“The Philippine side has also repeatedly provoked and intensified conflicts, escalating the situation. This is unacceptable to us,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning (毛寧) told reporters.
Philippine resupply missions are usually by sea, but Brawner said last month the military did an airdrop to avoid “resistance” and “harassment.”
Brawner denied reports that Filipino troops on board the Sierra Madre had pointed their weapons at the Chinese boats.
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