MANILA, Nov 22 (dpa): The Philippines on Monday dispatched two boats to bring food supplies to soldiers stationed at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, about a week after Chinese coast guard ships blocked and fired water cannon at them.
Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the two boats were expected to reach Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin Shoal, on Tuesday.
"The Chinese ambassador assured me they will not be impeded,” he said, adding that the envoy requested that the boats are not escorted by Philippine government ships.
Lorenzana said a Philippine navy plane will be in the vicinity when the supply boats reach Ayungin Shoal to monitor the trip.
The supply boats are the same vessels harassed by the Chinese coast guard ships on November 16, which prompted the Philippine government to file a protest and tell Beijing to back off.
On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concern over the incident in Ayungin Shoal during a video conference between leaders of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and China.
"We abhor the recent event in the Ayungin Shoal and view with grave concern other similar developments,” he said in a speech at the conference.
"This does not speak well of the relations between our nations and our partnership,” he added.
Duterte urged China to remain committed to forging "an effective and substantive” code of conduct in the South China Sea between ASEAN and China.
"There is simply no other way out of this colossal problem but the rule of law,” he said, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and a 2016 ruling of an international tribunal in favour of the Philippines.
"We must fully utilize these legal tools to ensure that the South China Sea remains a sea of peace, stability and prosperity,” he said.
Ayungin Shoal lies 105 nautical miles west of the Philippines' province of Palawan and is within the country's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
A dilapidated Philippine navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, has been anchored in the shoal since it ran aground in 1999, marking the country's claim to the area.
Trips to re-supply troops and also to rotate soldiers on duty are regularly conducted, but have often been met with challenges by Chinese ships.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory and has built artificial islands with military-capable facilities in the area.
Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the area, which is believed to be rich in natural resources.
In July 2016, the International Court of Arbitration ruled that China has no legal or historical basiss for its expansive claims in the South China in a case filed by the Philippines. Beijing has refused to accept the ruling.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday that Beijing was open to "further upgrade the China-ASEAN strategic partnership" but stressed that its sovereignty in the South China Sea should not be undermined.
"China's sovereignty and interest in the South China Sea is supported by legal basis," he said. "The so-called verdict from the South China Sea arbitration is not legal."
"Any attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty is doomed to fail," he added. "Currently, the overall situation in the South China Sea is tranquil, and China and the Philippines are in close communication." - dpa
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