Christmas convoy to cheer up Filipino troops on disputed shoal ‘ill advised’

The Philippines deliberately grounded BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, in 1999 to guard against expansion by China. Photograph: Erik de Castro/Reuters

A planned Christmas convoy of dozens of boats aiming to bring the festive spirit to Filipino troops on a disputed shoal has been described as “ill advised” by the country’s security officials, who warned of heightened tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.

The national security council in the Philippines has advised against the proposed trip, warning it is a time of “heightened tensions”.