Philippine Coast Guard reports presence of three Chinese vessels in disputed waters – ThePrint – ANIFeed

Manila (Philippines), November 30 (ANI): The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has confirmed the repeated presence of three Chinese Marine Research Vessels (MSRVs) in and near the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), raising concerns about possible unauthorized operations in waters of the country.

The vessels, named Xiang Yang Hong 3, Jia Geng and Xiang Yang Hong 10, were first spotted on November 17, 2024, 257 nautical miles northeast of Santa Ana, Cagayan. Although the site is outside the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive zone, further monitoring showed that they later entered Philippine waters, the Manila Times reported.

The PCG noted that these vessels entered the EEZ by November 17. On November 14, they were spotted off Davao Oriental and on November 20, they were spotted off Siargao Island. According to the latest PCG reports, the vessels are now 211 nautical miles east of Siargao Island.

The PCG has not received any official notification from the vessels of their presence, raising concerns about compliance with international maritime regulations.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which the Philippines and China are signatories to, research vessels must obtain prior authorization before conducting any activity within the EEZ of another country.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) works closely with the PCG to determine the nature and purpose of vessels’ activities. The presence of Chinese vessels in Philippine waters has been repeatedly reported in recent years, often heightening tensions between the two countries.

The PCG said it would continue to monitor vessel movements and provide further updates. Meanwhile, the DFA has yet to comment on whether it will file a formal diplomatic protest.

The dispute centers around the strategic and resource-rich waters of the South China Sea, which are partially or fully claimed by several countries, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

Tensions between Meila and Beijing have escalated significantly, with the conflict centered around disputed territorial claims. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire sea based on its “nine-dash line,” while the Philippines relies on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to justify its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). (ANI)

This report is automatically generated by ANI news service. ThePrint is not responsible for its content.