The largest military in the world is the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which is subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party. The recent blockade of a Philippine outpost in the South China Sea and the recent transfer of naval aviation assets into the hands of the PLA Air Force both serve as examples of its pursuit of “jointness” between the various armed services.
On 5 August, forces of the PLA Navy (PLAN), China Coast Guard (CCG) and People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia combined to prevent Philippine Coast Guard vessels from resupplying a dozen marines aboard BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting vessel that forms a Philippine military outpost at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
It was purposefully beached there in 1999 to uphold Manila’s claim to the area in the face of Chinese encroachment, specifically their occupation of the nearby Mischief Reef, which was uninhabited at the time. It is obvious that China has escalated aggression by using water cannons and their larger ship hulls to blockade Philippine vessels in this way, preventing the monthly resupply of military personnel at Second Thomas Shoal within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. even attempted to ram smaller Philippine resupply boats with CCG vessels.
