China says Philippine vessel ‘illegally’ entered disputed atoll

China says a small civilian vessel from the Philippines has illegally anchored at the beach of an atoll in the South China Sea, which is claimed by both countries.

The vessel, which landed on the Spratly Islands atoll on Friday, was there for supply purposes, the China Coast Guard said on the Weixin platform.

The Philippines has deployed a limited contingent of soldiers on a World War Two vessel that was intentionally grounded in 1999.

This strategic move serves as a stronghold to strengthen its territorial assertion over the Second Thomas Shoal, referred to as Ayungin in the Philippines and the Renai Reef in China.

The shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone 200 km west of the archipelago and 1,000 km from the nearest Chinese landmass.

The recently released satellite images by Maxar reveal the extent to which tensions continue to rise in the South China Sea between the Philippines and China over the strategically important reef.

Chinese coastguard and other ships, seen here as white dots to the east of the reef, reportedly used water cannons and blocking tactics in a failed attempt to prevent a Philippine vessel from resupplying the BRP Sierra Madre. (Photo by Maxar Technologies)

In the images, Chinese coastguard vessels are shown blocking access to the shoal situated on the reef.

Last year, the Philippines rejected China’s request to tow the vessel away, which led to the deterioration of diplomatic ties between the two Asian countries.

“We will never abandon (Second Thomas) Shoal. We will continue to resupply troops in the grounded vessel as long as it takes,” a spokesman for the Philippines National Security Council said last year in August.

Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry alleged the Philippines had repeatedly broken promises to remove its base from the reef.

“The Chinese side once again urges the Philippines to immediately tow away the “stranded” warship from the Rén’ai Reef and restore the status of no one and no facilities on the reef,” it said.

SS