Delivery Of Philippine Substitute Soldiers In The South China Sea Disturbed By China

Illustration of military ships. (Unsplash-Germannavyphotograph)

JAKARTA - Philippine troops received provocations from Chinese ships while transporting food, fuel, and substitute soldiers to the territorial outpost in disputed Beting Thomas in the South China Sea.

Two top Philippine officials were quoted from AFP, Tuesday, November 18, as saying the provocation was a communication disruption that lasted hours as part of Beijing's security practices in the remote atoll.

One Philippine official said that the Chinese Coast Guard was disrupting communications inside and around the betings as Philippine forces were delivering supplies to Sierra Madre.

The disruption appears to prevent possible surveillance of US-owned drones or drones from being further involved in the Philippines' surveillance of major global trade routes in the South China Sea.

However, supply transportation and replacement soldiers of the Philippine Armed Forces to the Second Thomas Beting were successfully carried out without unwanted incidents on Friday last week.

The Philippines gave no further explanation and two of its officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Chinese officials have also not issued a statement regarding this matter.

China is known to claim fisheries atolls and almost the entire South China Sea, and has repeatedly demanded the Philippines to recall its shipwreck, BRP Sierra Madre, from Second Thomas Shoal or Beting Thomas.