BEIJING: China’s foreign ministry has once again called on the Philippines to remove a grounded World War II warship. The Philippines is using it as a makeshift military base on a reef in the disputed South China Sea. This renewed demand follows the Philippines accusing China’s coastguard of using water cannon against boats attempting to resupply the Philippine garrison stationed on the grounded vessel.
The BRP Sierra Madre, intentionally grounded in the late 1990s to counter China’s advance in the contested waters, has been a longstanding point of contention between Manila and Beijing.
China’s foreign ministry reiterated its request for the Philippines to swiftly remove the warship from Second Thomas Shoal. It also emphasized the need to restore the reef to its original unoccupied state. The ministry stated that it has raised this issue with the Philippines through diplomatic channels on numerous occasions. However, the Philippines has not responded to the concern in a serious way.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson highlighted that the Philippines had pledged to remove the stranded warship from the reef. However, over the past twenty-four years, the Philippines has not only failed to fulfill this promise but has also undertaken efforts to repair and reinforce the vessel, aiming to strengthen its control over the area.
In response, the Philippines firmly stated that it will not abandon its position on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal.
The assistant director general of the Philippine National Security Council, Jonathan Malaya, reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to the area. He urged China to seek peaceful resolutions through negotiations instead of resorting to actions that endanger lives.
The Chinese ambassador to the Philippines expressed China’s hope for talks to maintain peace in the relevant waters. He also emphasized China’s sovereignty claims over the majority of the South China Sea. This area’s sovereignty is contested by several other countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
