Defending itself against China’s demand to remove a dilapidated ship grounded on an atoll in the South China Sea, the Philippines’ defence chief on Thursday rejected a resupply mission sent by the Chinese after the Chinese blocked it.
In response to China’s assertion, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana denied Manila had committed to removing the BRP Sierra Madre from Second Thomas Shoal, which was grounded in 1999 to bolster Manila’s sovereignty claims in the Spratly archipelago.
“That ship has been there since 1999. If there was commitment it would have been removed a long time ago,” Lorenzana said. He also accused China of trespassing when its coast guard interrupted a resupply mission for the troops.
It was built for the US Navy during World War II and measures 100 meters long.
The majority of the South China Sea is claimed by China, which uses a nine-dash line on maps that an international arbitration ruling said in 2016 lacks legal support.
