Philippines Sends Christmas Packages To Troops In Beijing's Claimed South China Sea

JAKARTA - The Philippines delivered supplies earlier this month to its military personnel stationed at locations in Manila's occupied South China Sea but claimed by Beijing.

Reported by Reuters on Tuesday, December 17, China's coast guard said the Philippines sent civilian ships to deliver supplies to warships that were illegally destroyed at the Second Thomas Shoal on December 12 with Chinese permission.

There has been no immediate response from the Philippine embassy in Beijing to the coast guard's statement.

The Philippine armed forces said supply missions on December 3-14 provided important supplies and included Christmas packages to boost the enthusiasm of soldiers who would be far from their families during celebrations.

Photographs shared by the Philippine military show deliveries to personnel stationed on Sierra Madre warships in Second Thomas Shoal.

Last week, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his country would not send its navy to support Filipino fishermen in other shallow waters contested in the South China Sea to avoid escalation.

On December 4, China's coast guard ship fired water cannons and crashed into a Manila fisheries bureau ship transporting supplies to Philippine fishermen in Scarborough Shoal, according to Philippine officials.

The Chinese coast guard said Philippine ships were approaching the 'dangerous' waters of Beijing's territory around the Scarborough Shoal.

Tensions between China and the Philippines have escalated throughout the year due to disputes in the South China Sea, which China claims almost as a whole.

Part of this important waterway, which is the venue for annual ship trading worth more than US$3 trillion, is also claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.