Philippines Pushing for Permanent Structure on Second Thomas Shoal

A file image of BRP Sierra Madre, a stranded wreck from the Second World War, now at the heart tof a diplomatic dispute between China and the Philippines. Image: Ted Aljibe / AFP

The Philippine parliament is reportedly calling for funding to construct a permanent structure on the Second Thomas Shoal (known as the Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines and Ren’ai Jiao in China.) The atoll is at the heart of competing territorial claims between the two countries.

The structure would presumably bolster the BRP Sierra Madre, a WWII-era warship currently used as a makeshift base by Philippine soldiers.

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by Cobus van Staden

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