The Philippine military revealed that Chinese boats had confiscated food and medicine that were dropped from the air to a Philippine outpost in the South China Sea. The incident took place on May 19 at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, where Filipino forces are stationed on a Navy ship to assert Manila’s claims in the area.
Tensions between Chinese and Filipino ships near disputed reefs have occurred during Philippine supply missions at Second Thomas Shoal, which is claimed by Beijing as part of its territory. The Philippine military accused China of “hostile and unjustified interference” when Chinese boats approached within 10 meters of the Sierra Madre ship and confiscated a package meant for Philippine forces.
This was the first time that supplies were confiscated in such a manner. Philippine Army Commander General Romeo Brawner condemned the action, stating that confiscating supplies from another country is illegal even during times of war. Chinese personnel on board the boats later threw the supplies into the water after confiscating them, according to a spokesman for the Philippine Navy.
China responded by accusing the Philippines of causing trouble and emphasized that the Sierra Madre was illegally parked in the reef area. Beijing downplays the claims of other countries, including the Philippines, in the South China Sea and has militarized artificial islands in the region. The Philippines typically carries out supply missions by sea, but dropped supplies from the air to avoid resistance or harassment.
Second Thomas Shoal Island is located about 200 kilometers from Palawan Island in the western Philippines and over a thousand kilometers from the nearest major Chinese land area. Despite China’s claims in the area, an international ruling has found no legal basis for its claims. tensions between Chinese and Filipino forces continue to rise as both countries assert their claims in the region.