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As regular readers already know, China has been trying for decades to seize submerged reefs in the South China Sea and turn them into islands which it claims are for civilian use. China did exactly this with Mischief Reef which was once a reef that was only partially exposed during low tide. After years of dredging and construction by China, it now looks like this:
Second Thomas Shoal is another reef only about 25 miles east of Mischief Reef. China has claimed it as well but has been thwarted by the Philippines which back in 1999 ran an old US ship aground on the reef as an outpost. That ship, the Sierra Madre, has been rusting in place for more than two decades but a handful of Philippines soldiers occupy it at all times, preventing China from claiming it.
The whole issue of China’s behavior in the Spratly Islands in general and at Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal in particular was already decided in 2016 by the Hauge. That 450-page decision, which you can read here, found China’s claim to the majority of the South China Sea (the so-called 9-dashed line) had no merit and that its construction of an island on Mischief Reef granted it no additional claims to territorial waters in the area. In fact, the Hague found that both Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal were within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. China refused to participate in the process that led to that conclusion and has disputed it ever since.
Having lost the legal argument, China has resorted to frequent harassment of Philippines resupply ships which come to Second Thomas Shoal with supplies and soldiers who are moved on and off the decrepit Sierra Madre. This battle has been going on for decades but this year in particular China’s Navy has really upped the ante, using lasers, water cannons and recently even colliding with a resupply boat.
In response to China’s bullying, the Philippines has been inviting international media on board these resupply runs so there are witnesses to what is happening. The Philippines has referred to this as an “assertive transparency campaign.” Yesterday the NY Times had a reporter aboard one the Philippines’ ships and got to witness it.
