China has called on the Philippines to remove the BRP Sierra Madre military vessel from the Ren'ai Jiao area in the South China Sea and to cease actions that Beijing considers provocative.
This was stated at a press conference on Thursday by Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense. He responded to questions from the media regarding the Philippine ship BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57), which recently received additional supplies.
The Chinese side has long maintained that the Philippine vessel is illegally located in the Ren'ai Jiao area and should be towed away. Beijing has also repeatedly called on Manila not to take actions that, according to it, could further increase tensions in the South China Sea.
Zhang Xiaogang stated that, according to the Chinese side, the Philippines repeatedly uses supply missions to transport materials intended to reinforce and maintain the long-term presence of the BRP Sierra Madre on the reef.
The Philippine ship remains at the center of one of the most sensitive territorial disputes between China and the Philippines. The Ren'ai Jiao area, also known internationally as Second Thomas Shoal, is part of a broader dispute over control of parts of the South China Sea.
China demands the removal of the vessel and claims that the Philippine side uses supply operations to strengthen its presence in the area. Manila, on the other hand, has long considered supplying the crew of the BRP Sierra Madre as a legitimate part of its activities in the area, over which it also asserts its claim.
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