Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. — U.S. NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS/FILE PHOTO

CHINA has increased its maritime militia presence at Mischief Reef in an apparent attempt to block a regular resupply mission by the Philippines to its troops stationed in the wreckage of a World War II ship grounded on Second Thomas Shoal, a think tank said on Thursday.

Most of China’s maritime militia vessels have been deployed to Mischief Reef, “where the Qiong Sansha Yu fleet is up from 14 last week to 35 now,” Raymond Powell, lead of Project Myoushu at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, said in an X message.

He said China may be boosting its presence there until after the Philippines’ next resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal, in which a World War II-era ship was grounded in 1999 to assert Philippine presence following China’s seizure of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in 1995.

The United States-based think tank at the weekend China had “major maritime rotation” across the South China Sea as it deployed at least 27 Qiong Sansha Yu-class ships south into the Spratly Islands and east into Scarborough Shoal.

The movement was seen just days after the Philippines and China convened their eighth Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting in Shanghai and agreed yet again to deescalate tensions through friendly talks.

On Monday, the Philippine military said it had postponed a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre because Unaizah Mae 1, one of its indigenous boats used for the activity, experienced “technical difficulty.”

“So, until such time that we determine that that vessel going to be used is seaworthy,” its spokesperson, Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said. “That’s the time that we can reschedule another mission.”

During a resupply mission in early December, the wooden boat experienced “reckless and dangerous harassment at close range” and was rammed by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner, Jr. was onboard at that time.

A News5 report on Tuesday, which cited an unnamed senior military official, said the AFP had “dropped food, water and other supplies” from a plane to troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre, which is manned by over a dozen troops. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

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