Chinese Coast Guard ships stop resupply
Chinese vessels once again interfered with Philippine ships' mission to resupply the BRP Teresa Magbanua in the West Philippine Sea, a maritime security expert reported on Monday.
Chinese Coast Guard ships harassed and damaged a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel transporting humanitarian supplies for Filipino fishermen in the area of Hasa-hasa and Escoda Shoal on Sunday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lian Jian said in a briefing in Beijing Monday that the Philippines must ''stop the infringement and provocation, and withdraw the vessel (BRP Teresa Magbanua) anchoring in the lagoon''
The deployment of the two Philippine Coast Guard's Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRV's) to Escoda Shoal was made after Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel BRP Datu Sanday terminated its humanitarian mission for Filipino fishermen due to the harassment of Chinese vessels which includes ramming and firing of water cannon that damage the vessel on Sunday,.
In his X (twitter) account, Ray Powell of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation Project Myoushou said the MRRVs of PCG "appears to be attempting another resupply to BRP Teresa Magbanua at Sabina Shoal" when they were blocked by the Chinese vessels.
"Philippines appears to be attempting another resupply to BRP Teresa Magbanua at Sabina Shoal with two 44-meter coast guard vessels: BRP Cabra and BRP Cape Engano. China's maritime militia is moving to block, while all China Coast Guard ships are AIS-"dark" and undetectable," he said.
GMA News reporting live from BRP Cape Engano said the mission of the two vessels is to transport supplies to BRP Teresa Magbanua inside the Escoda Shoal.
It also reported that China did not allow the PCG vessels to bring in "humanitarian assistance" to BRP Teresa Magbanua when more Chinese ships blocked them and challenged them through radio communication when they were around 25 nautical miles away from the shoal.
China's official state news agency reported that according to the China Coast Guard the "two PCG vessels on Monday intruded into the adjacent waters of Xianbin Jiao (Escoda Shoal) of China's Nansha Qundao (Spratly Islands) without the permission of the Chinese government."
"The Philippine vessels No. 4409 and No. 4411 approached dangerously a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship that was in normal navigation. The CCG has taken lawful control measures against them," the report said. Robina Asido/DMS
