Manila: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Saturday that China’s largest coastguard vessel has anchored within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, a move seen as an attempt to intimidate its smaller neighbor.
According to PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela, the 165-meter “monster ship” of the Chinese coast guard entered Manila’s 200-nautical mile EEZ on July 2. Speaking at a news forum, Tarriela detailed the incident and the PCG’s response.
The PCG warned the Chinese vessel that it was within the Philippine EEZ and requested an explanation of their intentions. “It’s an intimidation on the part of the China Coast Guard,” said Tarriela. “We’re not going to pull out and we’re not going to be intimidated.”
Requests for comments from China’s embassy in Manila and the Chinese foreign ministry went unanswered. Additionally, the Chinese coast guard does not have publicly available contact information.
Tarriela mentioned that the Chinese ship, which had also deployed a small boat, was anchored just 800 yards from the PCG’s vessel. This close proximity is seen as part of the intimidation tactics.
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In May, the PCG had deployed a ship to the Sabina shoal to counter small-scale reclamation activities by China, which Beijing denied. China has conducted extensive land reclamation on various islands in the South China Sea, constructing air force and other military facilities. These activities have raised concerns in Washington and among regional countries.
China claims the majority of the South China Sea, a crucial waterway for $3 trillion in annual ship-borne trade, as its territory. Beijing rejects the 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, which stated that China’s expansive maritime claims had no legal basis.
In a recent high-level dialogue, the Philippines and China agreed on the necessity to “restore trust” and “rebuild confidence” to better manage maritime disputes.
Despite rising tensions with China, the Philippines has declined offers from the United States, its treaty ally, to assist in operations within the South China Sea. This includes support for resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed on a contested shoal.
