In a statement posted on its official WeChat account late Saturday, China’s coast guard said it had authorized the provision of necessary supplies, while resolutely defending China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the Second Thomas Shoal and its adjacent waters.
“On January 21, a small Philippine aircraft airdropped supplies onto an illegally berthed warship,” the WeChat statement said.
“The China Coast Guard has made temporary special arrangements in the Philippines to track and monitor the situation in real time, manage and respond in accordance with laws and regulations, and replenish necessary daily supplies,” it added.
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China and Manila accuse each other of ‘provocative’ act of ship collision near disputed shoal
China and Manila accuse each other of ‘provocative’ act of ship collision near disputed shoal
China has repeatedly asked the Philippines to tow the ship under contract with Manila, but Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has denied this.
A WeChat message on Saturday said Philippine “officials” are deliberately misleading international opinion and ignoring facts, which will not help ease tensions in the South China Sea.