BLOCKED. A satellite image of fishing vessels at the entrance, which is blocked by a floating barrier, to the disputed Scarborough Shoal, in the South China Sea, April 11, 2026.
Vantor/Handout via Reuters
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says the years-old deal covering rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre does not involve asking permission from Beijing
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that a 2024 provisional arrangement with Beijing regarding military supply runs to the BRP Sierra Madre does not compromise the Philippines' sovereignty or territorial claims.
The arrangement, established after a confrontation between Philippine soldiers and the China Coast Guard, is largely confidential but does not require permission from Beijing for resupply missions.
