Manila - Amidst an escalating and concerning standoff between Manila and Beijing, an aging and weathered Philippine warship marooned in the South China Sea has taken center stage. The Philippine vessel in question, BRP Sierra Madre, has been stranded on the submerged Second Thomas Shoal since 1999. This event was part of the Philippines' effort to assert sovereignty over the area, coinciding with China's determined campaign to establish its own claims.

The recent tensions reached a pinnacle on Saturday when China Coast Guard ships obstructed and employed water cannons against two Philippine resupply vessels attempting to deliver sustenance and other provisions to military personnel stationed on the stranded vessel. This action spurred a volley of accusations, with the United States also joining the discourse. The U.S. underscored that an armed attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and military, including the coast guard, within the South China Sea would activate the United States' mutual defense treaty with the Philippines.

Despite ongoing confrontations, Manila asserts that the Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines, falls within its exclusive economic zone, extending 200 nautical miles from its coastline, and is resolute in its commitment to maintaining the area.

The heightened tension over this incident appears rooted in China's shift towards a more assertive stance in the South China Sea, aimed at bolstering its claims. This approach contrasts with years of tit-for-tat actions around the shoal.

China's claim to roughly 90% of the strategically crucial South China Sea, a major trade route, contradicts the Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 ruling that invalidated a substantial portion of these claims. China's extensive land-reclamation efforts to create and militarize islands in the waters, coupled with its assertiveness, have raised concerns among neighboring countries and the U.S. and Japan.

China's actions, in this case, seem to indicate an attempt to dislodge the Philippines from the Second Thomas Shoal and the broader Philippine Sea. The Philippine response has garnered international attention and support, with the U.S., Japan, the European Union, Britain, and Canada condemning China's actions.

While the area around the Second Thomas Shoal is considered open sea without immediate nearby islands, it falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. China's demand for the Philippines to remove the grounded vessel has been reiterated, while the situation underscores the broader geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea region.