Philippines Refutes China's Claim of 'Special Arrangement' Over Disputed Reef

Amid escalating tensions, Manila insists it does not need Beijing's permission to supply its troops stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

The Philippines denies China's claim of a 'temporary special arrangement' allowing the delivery of supplies to Philippine troops on a disputed South China Sea reef.
The Chinese coast guard stated it had temporarily allowed the Philippines to air-drop supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, a vessel grounded at the Second Thomas Shoal.
The Philippines' occupation of the shoal has been a point of contention in recent disputes with China, which have intensified under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce, with its territorial claims overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of several countries.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled that China's claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.