MANILA – The Philippine military has demanded that China stop “dangerous and offensive” actions in the South China Sea after a Chinese navy ship shadowed and attempted to cut off a Philippine navy vessel conducting a resupply mission late last week.

A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel came as close as 320m as it tried to cross in front of the Philippine ship near Thitu island, Manila’s biggest and most strategically important outpost in the South China Sea, according to Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner.

“These dangerous and offensive manoeuvres by China’s (navy) not only risk collision but also directly endanger the lives of maritime personnel from both sides,” General Brawner said in a statement on Sunday.

China on Monday claimed sovereignty and defended its presence near Thitu, which it calls Zhongye Island.

“The Philippine side’s illegal occupation of Zhongye Island has seriously violated China’s sovereignty,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference on Monday. “It is reasonable and lawful for Chinese warships to patrol the waters near Zhongye Island.”

This is the latest in a series of attempts by China to monitor and block Philippine resupply missions to personnel in Manila-occupied features in the South China Sea.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, through which more than US$3 trillion (S$4.1 trillion) of trade passes each year.

Ties between Manila and Beijing have soured since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr pursued closer ties with Washington, in sharp contrast to the pro-China stance of his predecessor, Mr Rodrigo Duterte, who sought to court billions of dollars of investment from Beijing.

Mr Marcos, however, has maintained that pursuing economic relations with China is important, and his government is sending a representative to China’s third Belt and Road Forum this week.
REUTERS