Philippines drops supplies to disputed shoal, defies China blockade
Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner speaks at a news briefing in Baguio, the Philippines, on Aug. 29, 2024
The Philippine Coast Guard airdropped supplies for its personnel deployed to a disputed South China Sea shoal two days after Chinese vessels blocked a delivery attempt by sea, an official said Thursday. This surely has left te Chinese quite red faced and could escalate tensions with Beijing.
Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner told a news briefing that the resupply mission to the Teresa Magbanua, a 97-meter coast guard ship anchored at the Sabina Shoal, was carried out by the agency’s helicopter, noting that this method is a viable option due to China’s repeated aggressive actions in the area.
The air delivery was conducted on Wednesday, with the helicopter taking off from the western Philippine province of Palawan, around 110 nautical miles from the shoal, said another Philippine official.
Two Philippine coast guard vessels initially planned to bring supplies and rotate personnel in the Teresa Magbanua, which the Philippines acquired from Japan, on Monday. However, the vessels were forced to abort their mission as Chinese navy and coast guard ships blocked their path in rough seas. Some 40 Chinese ships were in the area at that time.
The China Coast Guard said Thursday in a statement that the airdrop seriously violates China’s territorial sovereignty and undermines regional peace and stability.
Beijing urged Manila to “immediately stop its adventurous acts” and not escalate the situation while warning that the Philippine side would be fully responsible for all the consequences.
The Teresa Magbanua, one of the Philippines’ two largest coast guard ships, has been deployed since mid-April in the Sabina Shoal, which China calls Xianbin Jiao, to guard against Beijing’s activities there.
Earlier this month, China protested the ship’s deployment and demanded its withdrawal, but the Philippines said the vessel or a possible replacement will remain in the shoal.
Beijing continues to claim sovereignty over nearly the entire West Phillipnes Sea despite an international arbitral ruling that invalidated it.
