March 10, 2024 01:58 am | Updated 12:55 pm ISTLying in the waters around the Spratly Islands, a derelict ship at the Second Thomas Shoal has become a symbol of the Philippines’ defiance in the hotly contested South China Sea. The Philippine vessels were part of a routine mission to deliver provisions to troops stationed on the grounded navy vessel BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines first took possession of the Second Thomas Shoal in the late 1990s, setting an outpost on the drowned BRP Sierra Madre. The Second Thomas Shoal lies about 108 nautical miles (200 km) from the Philippine island of Palawan. China’s claimsChina claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including the Second Thomas Shoal, based on the historical and controversial Nine-dash line.

Source: The Hindu March 10, 2024 15:47 UTC