China facilitates delivery of supplies to Philippine troops deployed to disputed atoll

September 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Chinese Coast Guard reported this Friday that it has facilitated the delivery of supplies to Philippine troops deployed on a ship that ran aground more than two decades ago on the Second Thomas Atoll, also known as Ayugin, a territory disputed between the two countries. .

Although Beijing still considers the warship to remain “illegally stranded” in the area to support some of the Philippines’ territorial claims in the South China Sea, the coast guard has explained that it has deployed a ship to the area to collaborate with actions.

Liu Dejun, spokesperson for the Chinese Coast Guard, has indicated that these measures are part of the “temporary agreement reached by China and the Philippines” last August, with which the parties seek a reduction in tensions in the vicinity of the reef known as ‘Renai’ in China.

In this way, the coast guard has confirmed the presence of a Philippine ship and has supervised the entire replenishment process, with a view to “the Philippines fulfilling its promise and collaborating with China to jointly control the situation at sea.”

“We will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in the Nansha Islands, including the Renai Reef, and its surrounding waters, in accordance with the law,” the entity said in a statement.

For its part, the Philippine Army has indicated that the work has been carried out “successfully” and without “interference” from Chinese ships, as planned. Thus, it has ruled out any threat from Beijing despite the numerous clashes experienced in recent years in the disputed waters.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines has managed to deliver these supplies to its rotating personnel. We remain alert and prepared to respond to any challenge in protecting our personnel and their operations,” clarified Army spokesperson Margareth Padilla in relation to to the situation of the ship ‘Sierra Madre’.