The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) firmly dismissed claims by the China Coast Guard (CCG) that the May 16 resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal was conducted under China’s permission and supervision.
In a statement released Friday, the AFP emphasized that the operation to deliver supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre—a grounded Philippine Navy ship serving as an outpost—was legal and part of the country’s sovereign rights under international law.
“These missions are lawful and routine, conducted within our exclusive economic zone,” the AFP said. “We do not, and will never, seek permission from any foreign government to carry out activities within our jurisdiction.”
The rebuttal came after China’s Ministry of National Defense claimed the mission took place at “Ren’ai Jiao,” their name for Ayungin Shoal, under CCG’s “supervision and verification.”
The AFP called China’s assertions misleading and aimed at falsely projecting authority in the region. They reaffirmed the shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
Highlighting the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, the AFP urged vigilance against disinformation that threatens peace and regional stability.
Despite the ruling, China continues to disregard it and asserts control over contested maritime zones also claimed by Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.