China Lets Philippine Convoy Reach Second Thomas Shoal Without Conflict

Over the weekend, the Philippine military was able to carry out a mission to resupply the garrison at Second Thomas Shoal without any significant interference from Chinese forces - the first time in many months that China allowed Philippine vessels to pass unhindered. It is also the first resupply mission since a violent incident on June 17, when Chinese forces assaulted and confiscated two Philippine Navy RHIBs, injuring eight Philippine servicemembers in the process. 

On Saturday, on a much less fraught voyage, the contracted supply vessel Lapu-Lapu and the Philippine Coast Guard cutter BRP Cape Engano headed for Second Thomas Shoal. According to the Philippine military's western command, nine Chinese vessels followed along with the resupply voyage - including a rare three-vessel task force from the gray-hull PLA Navy, which typically leaves these missions to the China Coast Guard. According to PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela, these vessels "did not undertake any action to disrupt" the supply mission, and kept an appropriate distance. 

The behavior of the Chinese forces is a departure from recent encounters. The two sides recently reached an agreement to de-escalate tensions in the Spratly Islands, though Beijing and Manila have different interpretations of what concessions the agreement contains - in particular, the degree of control that China may now exert over navigation in Philippine waters. 

According to Beijing, Chinese forces inspected the convoy's cargo on this mission "on the scene" so that the China Coast Guard could make sure that the Lapu-Lapu was not carrying construction supplies. Tarriela denied that any Chinese boarding or inspection had taken place, and produced video evidence from the voyage. He insisted that "the Philippines did not and will not seek permission from the PRC for such missions." 

The outpost, a wrecked WWII landing ship called the BRP Sierra Madre, is about 80 years old and is rapidly deteriorating. China insists that the Philippines should not be allowed to bring in materials to make repairs, and demands that the entirety of the structure be removed - even though the outpost is within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. Though China has dredged and covered over seven large reefs in the Spratlys to build a string of military bases, paving thousands of acres of coral atoll, it claims that the wreck of the Sierra Madre poses an unacceptable environmental risk to Second Thomas Shoal.

"The BRP Sierra Madre is a commissioned naval vessel and its presence in Ayungin Shoal is well within the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction," said Tarriela in a statement. "The Philippines will remain committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes, including through dialogue and consultation, and will honor the understanding on [resupply] missions. We expect China will also adhere to the understanding as negotiated."

China claims a wide swathe of the Philippine EEZ under its "nine-dash line" policy, which asserts that Beijing has sovereignty over the international waters of the South China Sea because of a history of Chinese navigation. An international tribunal dismissed these claims in 2016, ruling in favor of the Philippines, but China has ignored the decision.