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By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday announced that it expelled a Chinese vessel performing illicit research in waters north of the Philippines, where it was observed retrieving a deep-sea exploration apparatus.
Officials indicated that the Chinese research ship Tan Suo 3 failed to respond to radio inquiries while pulling in a submersible vessel capable of deep-sea descents after being intercepted on Monday by BRP Teresa Magbanua, the PCG’s largest vessel.
The Chinese research vessel was located approximately 90 nautical miles (166 kilometers) off the coast of Ilocos Norte province, where it was engaged in “illegal” marine research, PCG spokesperson Jay Tristan Tarriela informed during a news briefing.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not promptly reply to a Viber message requesting comments.
“We were indeed observing the movements of the Chinese research vessel, determining whether they were merely exercising freedom of navigation or if they were conducting marine scientific research not sanctioned by the Philippine government,” Mr. Tarriela stated.
“After nearly two days of satellite monitoring, the commandant chose to deploy a coast guard vessel to ensure that it would be escorted out of our exclusive economic zone and document their unlawful actions,” he added.
Tensions between the Philippines and China regarding the South China Sea have intensified over the past year as Beijing persists in asserting its extensive claim encompassing maritime features contested by Manila.
China asserts more than 80% of the South China Sea based on a 1940s map, which a United Nations-backed arbitration tribunal invalidated in 2016 for being unlawful.
The Chinese research vessel was acquiring a manned submersible capable of diving to depths of 4.5 kilometers, Mr. Tarriela remarked, adding that the incident “enhances the likelihood” that prior sea drones discovered across the nation had been dispatched by China.
The Philippine Navy stated in mid-April that several sea drones located in the nation’s waters were likely sent by Beijing and may have been utilized to survey underwater landscapes in preparation for underwater warfare.
The retrieved drones, which Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent T. Trinidad estimated had a “50% to 80%” probability of being deployed by Beijing, can record water depth, temperature, salinity, and underwater sounds, which could be sent to terrestrial stations, motherships, or other drones via satellite communication.
Mr. Tarriela explained that the PCG did not attempt to seize the submersible due to legal complexities. “Our mandate is solely to prevent them from conducting marine scientific research.”
“We are currently formalizing the outcome of our operation, which will be presented to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea,” he added.
The Justice and Foreign Affairs departments, member entities of the task force, will devise a response to China’s “unlawful actions” within Philippine waters, he mentioned.
SHOAL ACTIVITY
Meanwhile, Chinese and Philippine maritime activities near Scarborough Shoal surged over the previous year, with China’s coast guard gradually extending its perimeter around the disputed shoal eastward, approaching the Philippines’ principal island of Luzon, according to maritime transparency group SeaLight.
SeaLight’s observations recorded 1.5 million Chinese ship identification signals around the shoal, an increase from 724,000 the previous year, while Philippine activity skyrocketed fourfold to 200,000, Anna van Amerongen, SeaLight Tech Advisory Group director, mentioned during an online maritime forum.
“The area surrounding Scarborough Shoal has expanded and has become significantly more active,” she noted.
Chinese vessels have been obstructing PCG ships from approaching within 32 kilometers of the shoal since May 2024, she added.
The shoal lies 240 kilometers west of Luzon and is approximately 900 kilometers from Hainan, the closest major Chinese landmass.
In 2013, the Philippines escalated the dispute over Scarborough Shoal to a United Nations-supported tribunal, which ruled in 2016 that China had interfered with Filipino fishermen’s rights to access the region. Beijing has since dispatched a fleet of coast guard vessels to reinforce its claim despite the ruling.
Manila is closely monitoring developments at Scarborough Shoal and is striving to assert sovereignty over the contested feature by enhancing its presence despite Chinese resistance, National Security Council Assistant Director-General Jonathan E. Malaya conveyed at the forum.
“Each occurrence in which China undertakes these actions to supposedly assert its control clearly signifies that it is acting in violation of international law,” Jay L. Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, stated at the same forum.
“The more China tightens its hold on Scarborough Shoal, the more it jeopardizes claiming it because it only illustrates that its assertion is unlawful.”
The Philippines should initiate a second arbitration case against China regarding its actions at the shoal, former Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio advised during the forum.
“We should be moving forward with the arbitration concerning the extended continental shelf,” he remarked. “Time favors China; it is becoming stronger each year.”
The Philippine government submitted a claim to the United Nations (UN) in June of the previous year seeking to register its extended shelf claim in the South China Sea amidst ongoing confrontations with China.
Nations can extend their claims beyond the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone if they provide evidence that their continental shelf extends further, thereby securing rights to minerals and seabed resources, per the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
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