Latest news with #BRPSierraMadre
Miami Herald
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Video Shows US Ally Resupplying Military Outpost in Disputed Waters
The Philippines has released footage showing a recent supply and troop rotation mission to Second Thomas Shoal, a hot spot in the country's long-running territorial feud with China. China said it allowed the May 16 mission to proceed after notification by the Philippines, though the U.S. ally has maintained it "need not seek permission." Newsweek reached out to the Philippine military and Chinese Foreign Ministry with emailed requests for comment. Second Thomas Shoal-known in Manila as Ayungin Shoal and in Beijing as Ren'ai Reef-is situated within the Philippines' EEZ. The reef is uninhabited, except for a navy garrison stationed aboard a rusting warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which the country deliberately grounded in 1999 to stake its claim. China insists the rusting vessel's presence is illegal and accused its neighbor of smuggling in supplies to repair it. Beijing claims sovereignty over most features in the South China Sea, including Second Thomas Shoal, and in 2023 and 2024 took forceful measures-including blockades and water cannons-to obstruct supply missions. Video shared by ABS-CBN show personnel aboard the Sierra Madre preparing to receive food and other supplies from the government-commissioned civilian vessel MV Lapu-Lapu. Four Chinese coast guard ships were observed in the area "but did not do any coercive or aggressive actions," Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, told reporters on the sidelines of an ASEAN event in Pasay City. It was the eighth such mission to take place without Chinese interference. The two neighbors said they had reached a deal to manage future supply missions in July, just weeks after a particularly aggressive interception by Chinese maritime forces that left Philippine sailors injured and drew condemnation from several countries. The exact terms of the agreement remain unclear, and each side has since accused the other of violating them. "With the permission of the Chinese side, the Philippines sent a civilian boat to transport daily necessities to its illegal 'beached' warship at Ren'ai Reef," Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun said in a May 20 statement. "It is hoped that the Philippines will honor its commitments, work with China in the same direction, and jointly manage the maritime situation." Trinidad, the Philippine Navy spokesperson, pledged missions to the Sierra Madre would continue. "We need not seek permission from any foreign power, much more from one that has encroached into our exclusive economic zone. These missions will continue," he said. China has accused the Philippines of violating an alleged promise not to deliver construction materials to the warship-turned-military outpost. A former spokesperson for Rodrigo Duterte, the Southeast Asian country's president from 2016 to 2022, made waves last year after appearing to suggest the leader had made a "gentlemen's agreement" to that effect in exchange for maintaining the status quo in the area. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in June 2022, has denied any knowledge of such an arrangement and said he was "horrified" by the idea. South China Sea Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based think tank, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "The gentleman's agreement works again. The China Coast Guard reported that under China's surveillance, the Philippines had just completed a supply mission without the Philippine Coast Guard for the grounded warship at Second Thomas Shoal on May 16." China will almost certainly continue pressing its claims within the Philippine EEZ and will most likely continue to face pushback from the Philippines. The Marcos administration enjoys broad support on the South China Sea issue, with a November poll showing that 84 percent of Filipinos back the government's pushback. Related Articles Green Card Holder Who Came to US as Young Child Detained Returning to USWATCH: Chinese Ship Blasts US Ally With Water CannonUS and Ally's Joint Forces Send Warning to ChinaChina Research Ship 'Loitering' Near Undersea Cables: Report 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Video Shows US Ally Resupplying Military Outpost in Disputed Waters
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Philippines has released footage showing a recent supply and troop rotation mission to Second Thomas Shoal, a hot spot in the country's long-running territorial feud with China. China said it allowed the May 16 mission to proceed after notification by the Philippines, though the U.S. ally has maintained it "need not seek permission." Newsweek reached out to the Philippine military and Chinese Foreign Ministry with emailed requests for comment. Why It Matters Second Thomas Shoal—known in Manila as Ayungin Shoal and in Beijing as Ren'ai Reef—is situated within the Philippines' EEZ. The reef is uninhabited, except for a navy garrison stationed aboard a rusting warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which the country deliberately grounded in 1999 to stake its claim. China insists the rusting vessel's presence is illegal and accused its neighbor of smuggling in supplies to repair it. Beijing claims sovereignty over most features in the South China Sea, including Second Thomas Shoal, and in 2023 and 2024 took forceful measures—including blockades and water cannons—to obstruct supply missions. The RoRe mission was conducted on May 16. RADM Roy Vincent Trinidad, PH Navy spokesperson for the West PH Sea, said four China Coast Guard ships were spotted in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal 'but did not do any coercive or aggressive actions.' (📹 AFP) @ABSCBNNews — Bianca Dava-Lee 🐱 (@biancadava) May 23, 2025 What To Know Video shared by ABS-CBN show personnel aboard the Sierra Madre preparing to receive food and other supplies from the government-commissioned civilian vessel MV Lapu-Lapu. Four Chinese coast guard ships were observed in the area "but did not do any coercive or aggressive actions," Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, told reporters on the sidelines of an ASEAN event in Pasay City. It was the eighth such mission to take place without Chinese interference. The two neighbors said they had reached a deal to manage future supply missions in July, just weeks after a particularly aggressive interception by Chinese maritime forces that left Philippine sailors injured and drew condemnation from several countries. This undated image uploaded onto the BRP Sierra Madre Facebook account shows the former tank lander at Second Thomas Shoal, where it was run aground in 1999. This undated image uploaded onto the BRP Sierra Madre Facebook account shows the former tank lander at Second Thomas Shoal, where it was run aground in 1999. Facebook, BRP Sierra Madre The exact terms of the agreement remain unclear, and each side has since accused the other of violating them. "With the permission of the Chinese side, the Philippines sent a civilian boat to transport daily necessities to its illegal 'beached' warship at Ren'ai Reef," Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun said in a May 20 statement. "It is hoped that the Philippines will honor its commitments, work with China in the same direction, and jointly manage the maritime situation." Trinidad, the Philippine Navy spokesperson, pledged missions to the Sierra Madre would continue. "We need not seek permission from any foreign power, much more from one that has encroached into our exclusive economic zone. These missions will continue," he said. China has accused the Philippines of violating an alleged promise not to deliver construction materials to the warship-turned-military outpost. A former spokesperson for Rodrigo Duterte, the Southeast Asian country's president from 2016 to 2022, made waves last year after appearing to suggest the leader had made a "gentlemen's agreement" to that effect in exchange for maintaining the status quo in the area. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in June 2022, has denied any knowledge of such an arrangement and said he was "horrified" by the idea. What People Are Saying South China Sea Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based think tank, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "The gentleman's agreement works again. The China Coast Guard reported that under China's surveillance, the Philippines had just completed a supply mission without the Philippine Coast Guard for the grounded warship at Second Thomas Shoal on May 16." What Happens Next China will almost certainly continue pressing its claims within the Philippine EEZ and will most likely continue to face pushback from the Philippines. The Marcos administration enjoys broad support on the South China Sea issue, with a November poll showing that 84 percent of Filipinos back the government's pushback.
The Star
21-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Philippines, US hold joint maritime drills in South China Sea
The BRP Sierra Madre in the South China Sea in 2023. The "maritime cooperative activity" included communication drills and search-and-rescue scenarios. - Reuters MANILA: Coast Guard vessels of the Philippines and the United States have taken part for the first time in joint maritime exercises with naval and air force units in the contested South China Sea, Manila's armed forces said on Wednesday (May 21). The exercises, held on Tuesday in waters off Palawan and Occidental Mindoro, involved the Philippine Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, alongside the US Coast Guard Cutter Stratton and a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The "maritime cooperative activity," which was the second for the year and sixth overall since the allies launched the joint activities in 2023, included communication drills and search-and-rescue scenarios, the military said in a statement. "Joint activities like the MCA reaffirm the Armed Forces of the Philippines' commitment to modernising its capabilities and strengthening defence partnerships to secure our national and regional maritime interests," AFP Chief Romeo Brawner said. Relations between the Philippines and China have been strained by disputes over sovereignty in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. China claims most of the strategic waterway despite a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal that found Beijing's claims have no basis under international law. China does not recognise the decision. - Reuters
South China Morning Post
04-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Philippines dismisses ‘absurd' Chinese online claims about Palawan
The spotlight on Philippine social media has turned to Palawan amid growing chatter by Chinese internet users claiming that the island is part of China, prompting officials in Manila to refute the allegations as 'delusional' and part of a 'propaganda' push. Advertisement Filipino social media users were outraged by posts on platforms such as Douyin and RedNote, circulating since January, that claimed Palawan – located in western Philippines – was originally called Zheng He Island, named after the famous Chinese explorer. Other Chinese social media users falsely claimed that Palawan's name had been 'restored' by their government to Zheng He Island last month. One content creator named Travel Brother on Chinese social media platform Douyin has racked up nearly 14,000 likes for his video in which he claimed: 'Historically, Palawan Island belongs to China. The reason we lost it is because of our lack of strength.' China has not staked a claim on Palawan, which is more than 1,500km from its nearest territory. Advertisement Dismissing the claims of the Chinese internet users, an X account called BRP Sierra Madre posted: 'Let's be clear: Palawan has been, is, and will always be part of the Philippines . It is not disputed. It is not up for debate. It is internationally recognised as sovereign Philippine territory – something even Beijing's aggressive cartography can't change.'
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Beijing says Philippines is polluting South China Sea as it releases 'waste-burning' film
Beijing has accused the Philippines of polluting the environment after it released footage it said showed troops burning rubbish at a disputed reef in the South China Sea. The video, published on social media by state broadcaster CGTN on Saturday, showed smoke pouring from the BRP Sierra Madre, an old warship that was deliberately grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999. CGTN said marines stationed on the ship had been burning refuse and were posing "a serious threat to the ecological environment of the surrounding waters". Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. It also referred to a report by China's Ministry of Natural Resources from last year that said the "prolonged illegal grounding of the warship had severely damaged the diversity, stability and sustainability of the coral reef ecosystem". The Philippines has not yet responded to the claims. The reef, known in China as Renai Reef and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines, lies about 200km (120 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan and has been one of the main flashpoints between the two countries. These include a 2023 incident where China intercepted resupply missions that it said were carrying construction materials for the Sierra Madre, and one last year where Beijing accused Philippine troops stationed on the ship of pointing weapons at its coastguards. China has described the Sierra Madre, a former World War II tank-landing ship, as nothing more than an "ecological graveyard", with its badly corroded structure at risk of disintegration. It has repeatedly demanded that Manila remove the ship, which remains commissioned in the Philippine Navy and continues to be manned by marines as a way of asserting Manila's claim to the reef. Beijing is also concerned that delivering building materials to the ship will help the Philippines consolidate its presence there. Last July, the two countries reached a provisional agreement to allow necessities to be delivered to the troops stationed on the ship but stark differences over the terms of the deal soon emerged. The Philippines grounded the ship on the reef in 1999. Photo: Reuters alt=The Philippines grounded the ship on the reef in 1999. Photo: Reuters> Beijing maintained that Manila had agreed to three conditions: the eventual removal of the Sierra Madre, notification before resupply missions and on-site verification by China to ensure no construction materials were included. However, the Philippines said the agreement had not compromised its sovereignty or granted China oversight over its operations. Environmental analysts quoted in last year's report from the natural resources ministry argued that the warship had been corroding for years and was leaking rust and pollutants into the surrounding waters, which had caused "irreversible harm" and widespread coral reef destruction. It said data from satellite imaging and diver observations showed that coral coverage within 400 metres (1,300 feet) of the vessel had plummeted by nearly 90 per cent, heavy metal concentrations in the water had risen above safe levels and marine life has been adversely affected. The report also accused Philippine personnel of dumping waste water and rubbish into the lagoon - actions that Beijing condemned as "reckless environmental destruction". However, neutral environmental experts have been unable to access the area to verify the information. The Philippine national task force for the waters, which it calls the West Philippine Sea, said the accusations were a "false and a classic misdirection" aimed at diverting attention from China's own environmental abuses. It said Chinese fishing boats had "been found to cause irreparable damage to corals [and] untold damage to the maritime environment" and were "jeopardising the natural habitat and the livelihood of thousands of Filipino fisherfolk". This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
