Firmly Rejects China's Request, Philippines: We Will Not Leave Ayungin's Beting

The incident was intercepted by a Chinese coast guard ship against a Philippine guard ship that will deliver supplies to Beting Ayungin on June 30, 2023. (Wikimedia Commons/Philippine Coast Guard)

JAKARTA - The Philippine Authority has stressed to China it will not leave disputed formations in the South China Sea, after accusing China's coast guard of using water cannons and a "dangerous" movement to prevent Manila from sending supplies to its forces occupying coral reefs.

Eating the August 5 incident with Jonathan Malaya, a senior Philippine National Security Council (NSC) official, said the increase in China's presence at Second Thomas Shoal or Beting Ayungin would not hinder the Philippines' determination to protect its position there.

"We will never leave Beting Ayungin," said Malaya, as she rejected China's call for Manila to remove its warship from the atoll, which was deliberately inundated in 1999 to strengthen Philippine sovereignty claims.

"We will continue to supply troops on inflated ships as long as necessary," Malaya said at a joint press conference with the military, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"It is our right to bring what is needed to maintain the station and to ensure that our troops there have been well prepared," he said.

Earlier, China said it had told Manila not to send ships to betings and not to send "construction materials, which are used for large-scale repairs and strengthening" to warships after learning of the recent supply plans, China's coast guard said in a statement on Monday.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Philippine move violated China's sovereignty and the Declaration of Party Behavior in the South China Sea. It said the ship was stopped "according to the law."

China is known to claim sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a statement rejected internationally. Meanwhile, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, and the Philippines have various claims over certain areas.

It is known that the use of water cannons by the Chinese Coast Guard on Saturday was not the first, as it also sprayed water on Manila ships on a mission to supply food and water, for a handful of troops living on shipships rioting in November 2021.

China's latest move, described by the Philippine military as "excessive", undermines efforts to strengthen trust between Manila and Beijing, and underlines "very much needed" code of ethics, a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Relations between the Philippines and China are increasingly tense under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila turning back to its traditional ally, the United States, which has expressed its support for Manila, accusing China of "threatening regional peace and stability."

President Marcos said his country had submitted its complaint to the Chinese Ambassador in Manila, who had been summoned by the foreign ministry.

No one was injured during the August 5 incident on the bench, but one of the two Philippine ships carrying supplies failed to complete its mission.