New Delhi, India

As the tensions between China and Philippines over the military outpost in the contested South China Sea rise, China has issued a demand to its neighbor.

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China's message to Philippines

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, when asked about a recent remark by Philippine President Mao Ning said on Thursday (April 11), said, "The Philippines went back on its word and refuses to tow away the warship illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao." Beijing refers to the Second Thomas Shoal as Ren'ai Jiao, while Philippines calls it Ayungin Shoal.

"If the Philippines truly wants to ease tensions...through dialogue and communication, it needs to honour the commitments and understandings and stop provocations," Mao added. She said China's first demand is that the Philippines remove the warship immediately and restore the reef to its original, uninhabited state.

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Mao warned, "If the Philippines sends large amounts of construction materials to the warship and attempts to build fixed facilities and a permanent outpost, China will not accept it and will resolutely stop it in accordance with law and regulations."

Also read: US defence commitments to Japan and Philippines are 'ironclad': President Joe Biden

Pending the towing, Beijing will permit Manila to send "living necessities, out of humanitarianism" to the Sierra Madre, but only if the Philippine side gives advance notice of the supply trips and "after on-site verification is conducted" by China, she added.

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What is causing tensions between China and  Philippines?

In 1999, Manila grounded a warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, to stake its claim on the atoll. China sends ships to confront Philippine convoys supplying marines on the ship. Tensions rise as China accuses convoys of repairing the ship. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr opposes a deal allowing Chinese activities in Philippine waters. "I am horrified by the idea that we have compromised, through a secret agreement, the territory, the sovereignty, and the sovereign rights of the Philippines," he said.

US, Japan, Philippines trilateral summit

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden was joined at the White House on Thursday by Philippine Prime Minister Rodrigo Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The leaders issued a joint statement that read, "We express our serious concerns about the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) dangerous and aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea. We are also concerned by the militarisation of reclaimed features and unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea. We steadfastly oppose the dangerous and coercive use of Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea, as well as efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation."

China called this trilateral summit an "anti-China gathering." Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said that the summit was not 'against any country'.

(With inputs from agencies)