On February 17, a People’s Liberation Army’s Navy’s (PLAN) corvette directed its Gun Control Director to the Philippine Navy’s anti-submarine corvette the BRP Conrado Yap near Rizal Reef in the South China Sea. This is the first time that a PLAN warship directly threatened a Philippine public vessel in the South China Sea. In March, a Chinese military transport plane landed on Fiery Cross or Kagitingan Reef on a routine supply mission aimed for a low-level consolidation of its control of the South China Sea. On April 18, the State Council of the city of Sansha announced the establishment of two new districts to administer the disputed waters in the South China Sea. Sensitive to military discontent, he was forced to honor defense plans and contracts put in the pipeline by the previous administration.

Source: Philippine Star June 13, 2020 09:56 UTC