Last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.
The announcement came after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday that Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian assured him that the Chinese side would not interfere with the resupply. Philippine officials have announced that the resupply mission arrived at the shoal earlier this week without any hitch to give provisions to the Filipino troops on the BRP Sierra Madre. This delivery of food and other supplies is a provisional, special arrangement out of humanitarian considerations," he added at a press conference. China demands that the Philippine side honor its commitment and remove its grounded vessel on Ren'ai Jiao," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in apparent reference to the Philippines' Ayungin Shoal. "Ren'ai Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao. The Chinese coast guard last week blocked and fired water cannons at the Filipino mission prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to call out China at the ASEAN-China special summit. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File PhotoĬhina demanded that the Philippines remove the BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal a day after Filipino boats reached the grounded Navy ship to complete their resupply mission. The BRP Sierra Madre, a marooned transport ship which Philippine Marines live on as a military outpost, is pictured in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea March 30, 2014.