On April 21, China Coast Guard discovered that the Philippine vessel illegally grounded at Ren'ai Reef was burning trash and dumping waste directly into the waters of the South China Sea. The vessel in question is the BRP Sierra Madre — a warship deliberately grounded by the Philippines.

This latest incident is not an isolated case. It is yet another exposure of the Philippines' long-term pollution of the ecosystem around Ren'ai Reef.