Philippines continues to resist China calls to tow grounded warship
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The ship in question is the BRP Sierra Madre and was illegally grounded in 1999.
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In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a Chinese Coastguard ship, front, blocks the path of a Philippine Coast Guard ship near the Second Thomas Shoal, South China Sea on Aug. 5, 2023 (AP)
The Philippines continued to resist calls from China to tow a stationed warship in the Nansha Islands on the basis that Manila is violating the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
This comes after the Philippines accused China last week of firing water canons against boats that were on a resupply mission to the vessel stationed in the Ren'ai Reef while also accusing Beijing of allegedly violating international law.
China Coast Guard released a video on Tuesday that shows them carrying out necessary management and control in accordance with the law in response to Philippine vessels' intrusion into the waters around the Ren 'ai Reef. pic.twitter.com/3Xh3trWfsy
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) August 8, 2023
The ship in question, known as the BRP Sierra Madre, was grounded in 1999.
Manilla promised it would tow away the ship several times -- but has never done so.
Moreover, there have also been attempts to repair the ship and reinforce it -- sparking outrage on Beijing's side.
Read more: US warship 'illegally intruded' in South China Sea: China
When Manilla made accusations against China that it violated international law by firing water cannons at the Philippines' resupply mission, Beijing said that it acted in a professional and uncontested manner, and condemned Manila for the "illegal delivery of construction materials" to the Sierra Madre.
"The Philippine side has repeatedly made clear promises to tow away the warship illegally 'stranded' on the reef," a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said Tuesday.
"Twenty-four years have passed, the Philippine side has not only failed to tow away the warship but also attempted to repair and reinforce it on a large scale to achieve permanent occupation of the Ren'ai Reef," they added, using the Chinese term for the Second Thomas Shoal.
"The Chinese side once again urges the Philippines to immediately tow away the 'stranded' warship from the Ren'ai Reef and restore the status of no one and no facilities on the reef," they said.
Read more: Philippines, China agree to address maritime issues peacefully
Sixty percent of maritime trade passes through Asia, with the South China Sea carrying an estimated one-third of global shipping.
Most recently, military naval ships have been crossing the area as part of the ongoing provocations against China.
Beijing had always wanted to formally settle the dispute with the countries involved but some countries sought to resort to third parties to do so, with the US pulling strings behind the scenes.
For instance, in early 2013, the Philippines initiated the South China Sea arbitration against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
In recent months, since the West began to further stir up geopolitical tension in the region, China has begun to adopt a more defensive stance by building artificial islands and deploying coast guard and maritime militia patrols.
On April 4, China warned that Washington was "endangering regional peace" in a deal with the Philippines that will see four additional bases be used by US troops, including one near the South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan.
"Out of self-interest, the US maintains a zero-sum mentality and continues to strengthen its military deployment in the region," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.
"The result will inevitably be increased military tension and endangering regional peace and stability," she warned.
Manila and Washington agreed in February to expand cooperation in "strategic areas" of the Philippines.
