China's Coast Guard said it allowed the Philippines to evacuate an injured person from a ship grounded near Second Thomas Shoal on October 8, according to 观察者网.
Jiang Lue, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, said the Philippine Coast Guard vessel 4409 traveled to the waters near the shoal — known in China as Ren'ai Reef — to move one injured person off the illegally grounded ship. Jiang said Beijing permitted the transfer by small boat on humanitarian grounds, handled the matter in line with the law, and provided necessary convenience, 观察者网 reports.
Jiang also rejected the Philippine side's account of the incident, saying its statements ignore the facts and distort what happened in an attempt to mislead. He said China holds indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, including Ren'ai Reef, and the waters around them. The spokesperson called on the Philippines to stop its infringing and provocative actions and its false claims, according to 观察者网.
The statement is the latest in a series of public exchanges between the two sides over the shoal, where a Philippine vessel has remained grounded for years. Beijing has consistently described the vessel's presence there as illegal.
Watch for whether Manila responds to the spokesperson's remarks, and whether further transfers or resupply attempts are reported at the shoal in the coming days.
