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China continues to assert its claims despite a UN-backed arbitration ruling in favour of the Philippines. Beijing maintains 27 outposts in the disputed sea, while Manila holds nine features, including the Second Thomas Shoal read more
 "Philippines reinforces World War II-era ship to stand off against Beijing in South China Sea")
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. File Image- Reuters
The Philippines has significantly reinforced a grounded World War II-era ship in the contested South China Sea, ensuring the outpost can last at least another decade amid tensions with Beijing over its territorial claims, Bloomberg reported citing four sources as saying.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration intensified efforts to maintain the military presence on the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands after he took office in 2022, two of the sources told Bloomberg. The BRP Sierra Madre was originally grounded on the reef in 1999 to counter Beijing’s expansive regional claims.
One of the sources told Bloomberg that the BRP Sierra Madre was believed to have a remaining lifespan of only three to five years in 2021, according to one source.
While previous administrations made some efforts to strengthen the ship, Marcos’ government accelerated the fortification work, according to the report. These enhancements, which support a small contingent of troops requiring regular resupply, are now sufficient to maintain the outpost for several more years, it said.
Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla, a Philippine military spokeswoman, told Bloomberg the armed forces are “dedicated to ensuring the decent living conditions of our marines and sailors stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre.” Those efforts include “sustaining our presence in the West Philippine Sea, where the Philippines exercises sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction,” she added.
The Philippines has maintained a presence on the ship, regularly resupplying troops with essential goods, amidst tensions with China but Beijing has kept opposing the delivery of construction materials and urged the Philippines to remove the vessel.
However, after recent confrontations, the two nations agreed to ease tensions, establishing a provisional arrangement and hotline. The Philippines and Japan have also conducted joint military exercises in the South China Sea, following similar exercises with the US.
In 2016, an international tribunal delivered a verdict that China’s claims in the South China Sea lacked legal justification, declaring that the Second Thomas Shoal and other features fell within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. However, China refused to acknowledge the ruling, and its vessels have continued to defy the Western-established security framework in the Pacific by enforcing the U-shaped line.
China’s refusal to accept the verdict has resulted in the disruption of oil and gas exploration, the destruction of coral reefs for artificial island construction, and the harassment of Southeast Asian civilian fishing fleets, forcing them out of their traditional fishing areas.
Beijing maintains 27 outposts in the disputed sea, while Manila holds nine features, including the Second Thomas Shoal, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
Washington, without territorial claims in the disputed waters, has reiterated its commitment to defending the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships, or aircraft are attacked, including in the South China Sea. Recently, the Philippines and Japan held their first joint military exercises in the South China Sea, the Philippine armed forces reported.
The drills, within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, followed similar exercises with the US. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stated that these activities aim to strengthen regional and international cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Last month, the Philippines and Japan, both US allies, signed a landmark military pact allowing the deployment of forces on each other’s soil. Japan, although not claiming the South China Sea, has a separate maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea. The latest exercise involved two vessels from each side, featuring communications, tactical maneuvering, and photographic exercises, the AFP said.
China claims a significant portion of the South China Sea, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan have competing claims. The US has deployed Navy ships and fighter jets for freedom of navigation patrols, which China opposes. The Philippines and Japan have signed a military pact, allowing force deployment on each other’s soil, amidst regional tensions.
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English (US) ·