China vessels watch PH ships on suspected resupply mission

January 9 ------ AT least six Chinese maritime militia (CMM) ships were monitored inside Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) while another from the China Coast Guard (CCG) was spotted shadowing Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels, which they suspect are headed for another rotation and resupply (RoRe) mission in the area. 

The CCG 5205 followed the BRP Cabra and BRP Sindangan as they moved past Escoda (Sabina) Shoal enroute to Ayungin where Filipino troops are stationed on the grounded BRP Sierra Madre, United States maritime security expert Ray Powell said. Before this, China deployed six CMM ships earlier in the day in anticipation of the RoRe, which the Philippines has not confirmed. Powell said CMM ships relocated west of the shoal "apparently aware the resupply is not yet underway but still expecting action soon." 

He said that at the start of the year, the South China Sea Probing Initiative, a research network established by Beijing, announced it was expecting the Philippines to conduct a RoRe mission "in the coming days." However, what was thought to be a resupply mission turned out to be a search-and-rescue operation carried out by BRP Cabra on January 2. The SCS Probing initiative also announced in December that a RoRe mission was forthcoming but, Powell said, "they were initially off by about 12 days." 

It was during that RoRe mission last month that a CCG ship rammed into a Philippine vessel. Philippine ships and the resupply boats were also subjected to reckless and dangerous harassment at close range by CCG and CMM vessels on their approach to the shoal. "This time they may be quite a bit closer to the mark, as China is even now deploying its blockading force from Mischief Reef. This has generally been a pretty solid indicator that something is about to happen," Powell said. "China's leaders believe there's another... resupply mission imminent. They are once again preparing to aggressively interdict it, but are desperate to reshape the messaging around their blockade," he added. 

Powell pointed out that Beijing's "frantic messaging" indicates that Manila's assertive transparency campaign to expose China's aggression in the West Philippine Sea has been "taking a toll" on its reputation, and "it has yet to come up with an effective response." China said the root cause of the incidents in Ayungin was the Philippine government's continued defiance of a consensus about the transportation of large-scale construction materials to BRP Sierra Madre with the purpose of permanent occupation of the reef. 

Herman Tiu Laurel, president of the Manila-based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute (ACPSSI), told The Manila Times that China has always been clear that humanitarian supply deliveries are permitted as agreed upon with the Philippines but construction and rebuilding materials are not. "They will be consistent with that," Laurel said. 

He said China is not concerned with any "messaging or propaganda issue, as it is simply exercising its sovereign police powers over its claim." "It is Raymond Powell and his US Project Myoushu that's obsessed with exacting 'reputational cost' on China by way of 'assertive transparency' or media sensationalism," said Laurel. 

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año clarified that the joint maritime activities between the Philippines and the United States were conducted in an area in the West Philippine Sea that is within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is consistent with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). Año issued this statement in reaction to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which called the activities by the Philippines as "provocative military activities" and deemed them as "irresponsible." "How can they be deemed provocative?" he said. 

Año said the Philippine government was "merely exercising its sovereign right to engage in such activities within its territory, and these exercises are aimed at enhancing our maritime capabilities and interoperability with the US, which is a treaty partner to ensure the security and stability of the region." "The joint patrol emphasizes our ability to work seamlessly together to ensure the readiness of our joint forces to address evolving security challenges," he said. 

Año further stressed that the joint patrols with the United States and potential future activities with other allied countries show the "mutual commitment to a rules-based international order and for promoting peace and stability of the region." "It also demonstrates the significant improvement in the Philippines' defense capabilities and the development of a world-class navy and armed forces capable of carrying out its mandate to defend the territorial integrity of the Philippines and our maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea," he said. Año said the Philippines remains open to diplomatic discussions with China and reaffirms its commitment to fostering good relations with all nations. 

Source: manilatimes.net