An official of the China Coast Guard (CCG) said Wednesday Philippine vessels were permitted to proceed with their Rotation and Resupply (RoRe) operation, transporting essential supplies to Filipino military personnel stationed aboard BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal only for “humanitarian” concerns.
Liu Dejun, a representative of the CCG, also confirmed that access was granted to the Philippine supply ships at Ren’ai Jiao, referred to as Ayungin Shoal by China. This access was allowed on the grounds that these vessels were not transporting “illegal building materials for large-scale reinforcement.”
In a statement published on the official CCG website, Liu stated that “temporary special arrangements have been made for the Philippines to deliver food and other necessary daily necessities to the grounded warship from a humanitarian point of view.”
However, Liu emphasized that CCG ships notified the Philippine vessels engaged in the RoRe mission that their entry into China’s territorial waters was without the authorization of the Chinese government. (ai/mnm)
