MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines on Monday denied China had a “temporary special arrangement” with Manila to allow the delivery of supplies to Philippine troops occupying a disputed South China Sea reef, calling it “a figment of imagination”.
The Chinese coastguard said on Saturday it had temporarily allowed the Philippines to provide food and water to soldiers stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre, a vessel grounded in 1999 at the Second Thomas Shoal, 190 km (118 miles) off Palawan province, to assert Manila’s territorial claims.
“This is a figment of the imagination of the Chinese coastguard. There is no truth to this.” National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya told state-run broadcaster PTV-4.
The Chinese coastguard said the Philippines air-dropped supplies to the navy vessel on Jan. 21. Malaya did not confirm nor deny the airdrop, but said supplying troops was his country’s right.
“We do not need to get the permission of…
