China to oversee Philippine warship resupply missions in disputed waters

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China will “monitor” all supply missions of “living necessities” to a Philippine warship in the disputed waters, Beijing said on Monday.

Beijing’s statement came a day after Manila announced it had reached a “provisional agreement” for rotation and resupply missions to its beached naval ship BRP Sierra Madre on the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.

However, Manila has not released details of the pact, which was reached after several rounds of talks following clashes between Chinese and Filipino personnel at sea in recent weeks.

“China is willing to allow it in a humanitarian spirit if the Philippines informs China in advance and after on-site verification is conducted,” said the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, referring to supply missions to the rusting World War II-era warship, deliberately beached by Manila in 1999.

“China will monitor the entire resupply process,” the ministry said, stressing that the reef where the warship is located belongs to Beijing.

The maritime neighbors, China and the Philippines, have conflicting claims over the Second Thomas Shoal – also known as Ayungin Shoal, Bai Co May, and Ren'ai Jiao – which is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The ministry added that China will “absolutely not accept it and will resolutely stop” any attempts by the Philippines to “send large amounts of construction materials to the warship and attempt to build fixed facilities or a permanent outpost.”