China firmly opposes Philippines transporting construction materials to grounded warship

BEIJING, Aug 22 (Reuters) - China firmly opposes the Philippines taking advantage of the opportunity of resupplying troops to transport "illegal" construction materials to a grounded warship on a disputed shoal, the coast guard said on Tuesday.

A small number of Philippine troops live aboard the World War Two-era warship Sierra Madre which the Southeast Asian nation intentionally grounded in the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to reinforce its sovereignty claim to the atoll.

The coast guard said it has made temporary arrangements for Philippines to deliver food and necessities on humanitarian grounds.

Reporting by Ella Cao and Liz Lee in Beijing; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman

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