COOLING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing off rival claims from other countries including the Philippines and an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
The United States, which has a mutual defence pact with Manila, has denounced the attack.
It came days after visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States stood by its “ironclad” commitments to defend longtime ally the Philippines against armed attack in the South China Sea.
Philippine Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Monday challenged Beijing to seek arbitration, which he said was the “best way of solving a legal dispute sustainably”.
“That’s why they don’t like that,” Teodoro told reporters.
Relations between Manila and Beijing have cooled under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos as he seeks to deepen cooperation with the United States and regional neighbours, while standing up to Chinese aggression towards Philippine vessels.
Chinese and Philippine officials agreed in January on the need for closer dialogue to deal with “maritime emergencies” in the South China Sea, including Second Thomas Shoal.
But Manila said Monday that China’s “aggressive actions call into question its sincerity in lowering the tensions and promoting peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
Despite the attack, Philippine officials said the damaged vessel and a coast guard escort ship that came to its aid later deployed rigid-hull inflatable boats to deliver its cargo and personnel to the Filipino outpost.
Filipino soldiers stationed on the shoal live on the crumbling BRP Sierra Madre and require frequent resupplies for food, water and other necessities as well as transport for personnel rotations.
Apart from supplies and equipment, the Philippine military said six navy personnel were delivered to the BRP Sierra Madre on Saturday, replacing one soldier who was recently evacuated on medical grounds.
The damaged supply boat and its escorts sailed back to port after completing their mission, the task force said.
