Patrick Henry: THE PHILIPPINE STANDING STRONG AGAINST CHINA WHEN IT COMES TO THE SPRATLY ISLAND SINCE 1999 GROUNDING ON THE REEF OF THE WW2 LST SIERRA MADRE IN THE AYUNGIN SHOAL OF THE SPRATLY ISLANDS WITH 10 PHILIPPINE MARINES STANDING GUARD AS CHINESE MILITARY READY FOR THE LAND GRAB IF NOT FOR THE PHILIPPINE MARINES

Friday, June 22, 2018

THE PHILIPPINE STANDING STRONG AGAINST CHINA WHEN IT COMES TO THE SPRATLY ISLAND SINCE 1999 GROUNDING ON THE REEF OF THE WW2 LST SIERRA MADRE IN THE AYUNGIN SHOAL OF THE SPRATLY ISLANDS WITH 10 PHILIPPINE MARINES STANDING GUARD AS CHINESE MILITARY READY FOR THE LAND GRAB IF NOT FOR THE PHILIPPINE MARINES

May 14, 2018: The government protested a Chinese attempt, on May 11^th, to interfere with a Filipino effort to deliver supplies to a base it maintains on Second Thomas Reef which both countries claim. Despite the presence of Chinese military aircraft and ships the supplies got through to the detachment of Filipino marines has been stationed there on a World War II era landing ship (the BRP Sierra Madre) since 1999. The Filipino navy deliberately grounded the LST on Second Thomas Reef in 1999 to provide a place for this “observation team”. In 2013 Chinese patrol ships came within nine kilometers of the LST, which China insists is there illegally. The Philippines warned China that it would resist any attempts to use force against the grounded ship and while the Chinese still tries to interfere with supply ships, they have stayed away. In 2015 China protested the Filipino effort to make repairs on the LST. The Philippines protested the Chinese moves today but only after a two week delay because of disagreements within the Filipino government about how to deal with the situation. China is buying a lot of influence in the Philippines but at the same time, most Filipinos fear being “conquered” by an increasingly aggressive China. The Philippines also decided to proceed with upgrades to its other disputed islands in the Spratly Islands.

https://strategypage.com/qnd/phillip/articles/20180611.aspx

The Philippine navy is quietly reinforcing the hull and deck of a rusting ship it ran aground on a disputed South China Sea reef in 1999 to stop it breaking apart, determined to hold the shoal as Beijing creates a string of man-made islands nearby.