Philippines, China reach agreement to resupply Filipino troops stationed at South China Sea
Date
7/21/2024 9:57:59 AM
(MENAFN) The Philippines and China have reached a tentative agreement regarding the resupply of Filipino troops stationed at a reef in the South China Sea, as announced by Manila on Sunday. This development comes amid a series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters. According to the Philippine foreign ministry, the arrangement involves the provision of daily necessities and the rotation of personnel for the BRP Sierra Madre, a vessel grounded deliberately on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert Philippine sovereignty over the area.
The BRP Sierra Madre, an aging warship, has been stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal, to strengthen Manila's claims in the region. This location has recently been the site of intensified clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels. Beijing has been actively asserting its claims to nearly the entire South China Sea, leading to heightened tensions. During a confrontation on June 17, a Filipino sailor suffered a severe injury, losing a thumb, when Chinese coast guard members, armed with knives, sticks, and an axe, disrupted a Philippine Navy attempt to deliver supplies to the isolated outpost.
Second Thomas Shoal is situated approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Palawan, a western Philippine island, and more than 1,000 kilometers from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan Island.
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