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Chinese ships staged a rare “invasion” of Ayungin or Second Thomas Shoal in the West Philippine Sea in a “calculated show of force by Beijing,” after disrupting a Philippine resupply mission in the same waters over the weekend, according to a maritime security expert.
As many as 11 Chinese maritime militia vessels were observed in the Philippine-held shoal while dozens more clustered in the periphery on Monday, a day after the tension-filled supply run, said Ray Powell, SeaLight director at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, citing satellite images by Planet Labs.
