Philippines ease tensions over frigate grounding

The Philippines notified China about a navy frigate that ran aground in the South China Sea to avoid any misunderstanding because the incident happened near a hotly disputed region, three Philippine officials said yesterday.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar ran aground during a routine patrol on Wednesday night in the vicinity of Half Moon Shoal, which is called Hasa Hasa in the Philippines, the Philippine military said, adding its crew was unhurt. The barren shoal is on the edge of the disputed Spratly archipelago, where tensions have run high in recent years after China transformed seven disputed reefs into islands, including three with runways, and reportedly installed a missile defence system.

Theusandasiangovernments which have claims in the region, including the Philippines, raised alarms over China’s island building and militarisation of the strategic territory.

The Philippines was one of the most vocal critics of China’s assertive moves in the disputed waters.