Early this morning, two Philippine coast guard vessels made another attempt to approach the Ren’ai Reef, aiming to come close to the Ma Drei Shan tank landing ship for resupply. This move marked the third such resupply attempt in the past two months at the Ren’ai Reef by the Philippines.
On the two previous occasions in July and August, the Chinese Coast Guard firmly intercepted the Philippine vessels. The interception in early August even saw the deployment of high-pressure water cannons by the Chinese Coast Guard against the Philippine coast guard vessels, leading to a strong diplomatic protest from the Philippines.
Contrary to expectations that the Philippine side might refrain from further activities near the Ren’ai Reef after multiple setbacks, they dispatched two coast guard vessels this Friday, apparently making clandestine maneuvers near the reef.
Reports suggest that the Philippine coast guard ships attempting to access the Ren’ai Reef today were the Cabra and Sindangan. Their current position, as of this morning, is about 35 kilometers outside the entrance of the Ren’ai Reef’s lagoon, ready to make an entry attempt at any moment.
In response, the Chinese Coast Guard has displayed resolve by deploying two of its vessels, Haijing 5305 and Haijing 21551, along with ten armed fishing vessels, organizing them in a two-tier defense formation at the entrance of the Ren’ai Reef.
As of midday, the standoff between Chinese and Philippine vessels continued in waters east of the Ren’ai Reef.
Additionally, today the Chinese Coast Guard released a statement indicating that two Philippine resupply vessels and two coast guard ships entered the waters near the Ren’ai Reef of China’s Nansha Islands without China’s government’s permission. The Chinese Coast Guard responded with a stern warning, constant monitoring, and effective regulation of the Filipino vessels’ movements.
The ongoing tensions highlight the complex maritime territorial disputes between the two nations in the South China Sea.
