The Philippines Defends Resupply Missions in South China Sea, Rejects Notifying China
The Philippines has asserted that it is not obligated to inform China about its resupply missions in the South China Sea. The country’s foreign ministry stated on Thursday that these operations, which also involve the maintenance of a grounded navy ship, are legitimate and therefore do not require prior notification to China.
In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) called on China to remove all “illegal structures” it has constructed within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The DFA urged China to halt any further reclamation activities in these areas and to take responsibility for the damage caused by these actions.
China has repeatedly accused the Philippines of trespassing on its waters without permission during its resupply missions to deliver food and water to Filipino soldiers stationed aboard a navy ship grounded at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. The atoll is known as Ayungin by the Philippines and Renai Reef by China.
“We are being asked to give prior notification each time we conduct a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal. We will not do so,” stated DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza in a released statement.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, citing a line on its maps that encroaches on the EEZs of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, has also rejected Beijing’s maps.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that the line on China’s maps had no legal basis, a decision that Beijing has rejected.
During a meeting in Jakarta, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated his support for the arbitral ruling, emphasizing the need for adherence to international law. Both the US and the Philippines have condemned China’s harassment of Philippine vessels conducting resupply missions.
Since the grounding of the Sierra Madre ship at the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 as part of Manila’s efforts to assert its sovereignty claim, China has repeatedly called on the Philippines to remove the vessel, citing a supposed agreement. However, Manila has reaffirmed that no such agreement exists.
“The Philippines has not entered into any agreement relinquishing its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its EEZ and continental shelf, including in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal,” clarified Daza.
The Second Thomas Shoal is located 190 km (118 miles) off the Philippine island of Palawan, well within Manila’s EEZ.
The Chinese embassy in Manila has not yet responded to requests for comment.
