China coast guard says it took measures against Philippine vessels in SCS

China’s coast guard said it had taken control measures against Philippine vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, while the Philippine coast guard decried the moves as “irresponsible and provocative”.
The incident occurred in the Second Thomas Shoal and Spratly Islands waters, according to the Chinese Coast Guard. The shoal is home to a small number of Filipino troops stationed on a warship that Manila grounded there in 1999 to reinforce its sovereignty claims.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including the Second Thomas Shoal, which is within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone, and has deployed vessels to patrol the disputed atoll. A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration found that China’s sweeping claims have no legal basis.
A Philippine civilian boat was hired to resupply the troops this week, and was escorted by two Philippine navy ships and two Philippine coast guard vessels, according to a statement from the Philippine armed forces on Saturday.