China again asks Philippines to remove grounded ship from disputed waters

China on Tuesday (August 8) again asked the Philippines to remove an ageing World War II-era ship from a disputed shoal. The recent calls come after Manila rejected Beijing's earlier demand. The mentioned shoal is a reef that Manila uses to press its stake in the Spratly Islands against Beijing's claim to nearly the entire South China Sea. 

Tensions have been simmering between the two nations after the Chinese coastguard ships fired water cannons at vessels supplying troops stationed there over the weekend. 

The disputed reef is known as the Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines and Renai Shoal in China. Beijing claims that the disputed reef has been occupied by the Philippines since 1999. 

In that year, the BRP Sierra Madre was deliberately grounded in an effort to check the advance of China in the hotly contested waters. But it remains a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing. 

An official said that Manila will "never abandon" the Philippine-held shoal. National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya told reporters that "for the record, we will never abandon Ayungin Shoal. We are committed to Ayungin Shoal". 

(Image credit: BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has been aground since 1999 is pictured on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea March 29, 2014.)

Meanwhile, China has targeted the United States as its embassy in Manila slammed Washington for "gathering" its allies to continue "hyping up" the South China Sea issue and the boat incident. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the embassy said: "The South China Sea is not a 'safari park' for countries outside the region to make mischief and sow discord." 

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The water cannon incident on August 5 came after Manila repeatedly accused the Chinese coastguard of blocking resupply missions to its troops there. 

But Beijing has defended its actions as "professional" and accused Manila of "illegal delivery of construction materials" to the grounded ship. 

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A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said Tuesday: "The Philippine side has repeatedly made clear promises to tow away the warship illegally 'stranded' on the reef." 

"Twenty-four years have passed, the Philippine side has not only failed to tow away the warship but also attempted to repair and reinforce it on a large scale to achieve permanent occupation of the Ren'ai Reef," they said, using the Chinese term for the Second Thomas Shoal.

"The Chinese side once again urges the Philippines to immediately tow away the 'stranded' warship from the Ren'ai Reef and restore the status of no one and no facilities on the reef," they said. 

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Here's what the Philippines said 

The Philippine foreign ministry said Tuesday the "permanent station" on Second Thomas Shoal was in response to China's "illegal occupation" of nearby Mischief Reef in 1995.

"The deployment of a Philippine military station in its own areas of jurisdiction is an inherent right of the Philippines and does not violate any laws," the ministry said. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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