BEIJING: According to China’s coast guard, Spanish ships transporting” illegal building materials” to a ship at an disputed school in the South China Sea were” legally” blocked on Sunday, October 22.
China and the Philippines have experienced many run-ins in South China Sea regions over the past several months, with the Spratly Islands’ Second Thomas Shoal being the most contentious.
The China Coast Guard has consistently deployed ships to stop the resupply missions as a result of the Philippines’ continued supply of supplies to soldiers stationed on World War II-era transport ships turned military outposts on the Shoal.
A Chinese military ship pursued and attempted to cut off a Philippine navy vessel on supplies vision last week, prompting the Spanish military to demand that China prevent its” unsafe and unpleasant” actions.
China had issued a warning to the Philippines that any further” actions” would violate its territorial independence.
China asserts its sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea and draws a dotted line on its drawings delineating the special economic areas of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. China’s says lacked legitimate foundation, according to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.