China Coast Guard drives away Philippine vessels intruding into waters of China's Nansha Islands on August 5, 2023. (File Photo)
The China Coast Guard (CCG) on Friday restricted two supply ships and two coast guard ships of the Philippines trespassing into waters near China's Ren'ai Jiao (also known as the Ren'ai Reef) in the South China Sea.
According to a CCG spokesperson, the CCG has sent a stern warning to the Philippine vessels, while conducting tracking and monitoring throughout their entire course and imposed effective and lawful restrictions.
China has undisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands including the Ren'ai Jiao and adjacent waters, and firmly opposes Philippine authorities' transport of illegal building materials to its illegally "grounded" warship, said the spokesperson.
The CCG vowed to continue to carry out protection of rights and law enforcement activities in waters under Chinese jurisdiction in accordance with the law.
On August 22, the CCG drove away two supply ships and two coast guard vessels of the Philippines intruded into waters near the Ren'ai Jiao, but under humanitarian consideration, temporarily allowed the transport of food to the Philippines' "grounded" warship. On August 5, two supply ships and two Philippine coast guard vessels that were carrying illegal building materials intruded into waters near the Ren'ai Jiao.
Earlier in August, Wu Qian, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said that CCG vessels lawfully intercepted and had taken warning enforcement measures against Philippines' illegal transportation of construction supplies to China's Ren'ai Jiao. Wu said that in the face of ineffective warnings through multiple verbal communications, water cannons were used as a means to avoid direct confrontation and collision.