The Philippine military chief on Tuesday said the Chinese coast guard seized one of four food packs dropped by a plane for Filipino navy personnel at a territorial outpost that has been surrounded by Chinese vessels in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

Gen. Romeo Brawner said the Chinese personnel may have suspected the packages contained construction materials intended to reinforce a rusty Philippine navy ship ran aground at Second Thomas Shoal to serve as a Philippine outpost. After discovering the package contained food, they dumped the items, which included rice and biscuits, into the sea, Brawner said.