Chinese Warships and Coast Guard Vessels Force Suspension of Philippine Resupply Mission to BRP Sierra Madre — First Since July 2024

Three PLA Navy warships (including two Houbei-class missile boats) and five China Coast Guard vessels intercepted a Philippine rotation-and-resupply (RORE) mission to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal on the night of September 24, 2026, forcing its temporary suspension roughly 60 nautical miles (about 111 km) from the shoal. The civilian resupply boat M/V Lapu-Lapu, escorted by Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard vessels BRP Malabrigo and BRP Cabra, was shadowed and closed on by the Chinese force from around 8:35 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said the encounter involved 'dangerous maneuvers' by Chinese vessels that threatened a collision with the Lapu-Lapu. An additional force of China Coast Guard and China Maritime Militia vessels was separately observed near BRP Sierra Madre and nearby Sabina Shoal. AFP spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the mission was 'temporarily suspended' given 'the possibility of escalation that could endanger our personnel and vessels,' and that the actions were 'irresponsible, reckless, and inconsistent with' the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS); there was no collision and no injuries. It is the first publicly reported instance of China blocking a Philippine resupply mission since a provisional bilateral arrangement took effect in July 2024, ending roughly 15 consecutive incident-free RORE missions. Manila said it does not require Beijing's permission to resupply the Sierra Madre and that the operation fell within its exclusive economic zone; China's Foreign Ministry and Global Times said the incident occurred because the Philippines failed to secure Chinese approval to sail to the shoal, a claim Manila has repeatedly rejected.