MANILA: The Philippine armed forces said on Saturday it would again seek to resupply troops stationed in a rusty World War 2-era ship on a reef in the South China Sea, after China blocked a previous attempt with water cannons.
\n\u201cThis exercise of our sovereign rights and jurisdiction is a testament to our firm belief in the rules-based international order that underpins regional peace and stability,\u201d armed forces spokesperson Medel Aguilar said in a statement.
\nManila filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing this month after China\u2019s coast guard used water cannon and \u201cdangerous\u201d moves to prevent the Philippines from sending supplies to a handful of troops in the Second Thomas Shoal.
\nChina claims almost all the South China Sea, an assertion rejected internationally, while Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have various claims to certain areas.
\nManila calls on all relevant parties to respect its sovereignty and jurisdiction over its maritime zones, Aguilar said, adding that Manila supports the peaceful settlement of disputes.
\nChina\u2019s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Chinese coast guard said on Aug. 7 it had told the Philippines not to send ships to the shoal and not to send \u201cconstruction materials used for large-scale repair and reinforcement\u201d to the warship.
\nThe Philippines intentionally grounded the warship in 1999 as part of its sovereignty claim to the shoal, which lies within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
\nThe planned resupply mission \u201cis a clear demonstration of our resolve to stand up against threats and coercion, and our commitment in upholding the rule of law,\u201d the armed forces said.
\nIn 2016, an international arbitration award invalidated China\u2019s sweeping claim to almost the entire South China Sea.
\nChina, which does not recognize the ruling, has built man-made islands with airstrips and surface-to-air missiles in the South China Sea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MANILA: The Philippine armed forces said on Saturday it would again seek to resupply troops stationed in a rusty World War 2-era ship on a reef in the South China Sea, after China blocked a previous attempt with water cannons. \u201cThis exercise of our sovereign rights and jurisdiction is a testament to our firm belief […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":350331,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-350322","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n