In July 2024, China and the Philippines reached a temporary arrangement regarding humanitarian deliveries of daily living supplies to personnel aboard the warship at Ren'ai Jiao. China's position on the matter has not changed, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday in response to a question about the incident in which personnel aboard the Philippines' illegally grounded warship violently interfered with the China Coast Guard (CCG) law enforcement activities and maliciously attacked Chinese law enforcement officers.

The spokesperson briefly reiterated the three principles. First, the Philippines' long-term illegal grounding of a warship at Ren'ai Jiao infringes upon China's sovereignty and violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). China demands that the Philippines remove the warship and restore Ren'ai Jiao to its original state of being "unmanned and without facilities."

Second, before the vessel is removed, China is willing, out of humanitarian considerations, to allow the Philippines to deliver daily living supplies to personnel aboard the ship, provided that the Philippine side notifies China in advance and the supplies are verified on site. China will monitor the entire process.

Third, if the Philippines attempts to construct permanent facilities or establish a permanent outpost on Ren'ai Jiao, China will never accept such actions and will resolutely prevent them in accordance with the law and relevant regulations.

In recent days, the Philippine side had deliberately provoked tensions at Ren'ai Jiao and violently attacked Chinese law enforcement personnel, only to later shift the blame, distort the facts, and hype the incident. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes such actions, Lin said.

"China lodged solemn representations with the Philippine side this morning," Lin said. We urge the Philippines to honor its commitments, immediately cease its maritime provocations and disruptive actions, and stop spreading false narratives and sensationalizing the issue, the spokesperson added.