SUMMARY
At least once a month, when the Philippine military and the Philippine Coast Guard voyage to Ayungin Shoal for a mission to bring new troops and supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, both Beijing and Manila are quick to issue statements on the inevitable tensions out in open sea.
Confrontations, including one in early March 2024 that caused bodily harm on Navy personnel, are a dangerous part of the routine, as China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia ships try to block and drive away Philippine ships.
The BRP Sierra Madre is a World War II vessel purposefully run aground in 1999, in response to China’s encroachment of nearby Mischief Reef. The ship, in all its rusty glory, remains in service and now serves as a Philippine military outpost.
When confrontations happen – colli…