Chinese Coast Guard and Navy Ships Look On But Don’t Intervene in Latest Philippine Resupply Mission

Some of the nine Chinese vessels that closely observed a Philippines resupply mission to the crew aboard the BRP Sierra Madre atop the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Images via the Philippine Coast Guard.

Under the close watch of at least nine China Coast Guard and PLA Navy warships, the Philippines said it carried out a resupply and rotation mission to troops on a South China Sea reef on Saturday without any “untoward incidents” more than a month after a violent clash with Chinese forces in the area.

It said the mission to Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed territory, was the first since Manila and Beijing reached a “provisional arrangement” last week for the delivery of daily necessities and rotation missions for Filipino troops based on a rusty warship grounded atop the reef.

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by Eric Olander

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