The Philippine Coast Guard yesterday said it deployed aircraft to issue radio warnings to a Chinese research ship in a disputed area of the South China Sea “swarming” with vessels from Beijing’s so-called maritime militia.
The research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 33 (向陽紅33), which is capable of supporting submersible craft, was operating near a reef in the contested Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), which Taiwan also claims, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
The Chinese ship was deploying a service boat toward the Spratly’s Iroquois Reef on Wednesday when it was spotted by a coast guard plane, “confirming ongoing unauthorized [marine scientific research] operations,” the statement said.
Photo: AFP
Iroquois Reef (Houteng, 鱟藤礁) is located at the southern end of Reed Bank (Lile Bank, 禮樂灘), an area in the Spratlys thought to be rich in natural gas and oil.
During the flight, Manila’s coast guard also spotted 41 “maritime militia vessels” anchored in waters surrounding Iroquois Reef and Philippine-occupied Thitu Island (Jhongye Island, 中業島), home to about 400 Filipinos and a new coast guard station.
“The Philippines has not granted such consent to the [People’s Republic of China] for any [marine scientific research] activities in these waters,” the coast guard said.
“The presence of the research vessel and the large-scale swarming by Chinese Maritime Militia vessels represent a serious infringement on Philippine sovereign rights and maritime jurisdiction,” it added.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Xiang Yang Hong 33, which left China more than three weeks ago, has been monitored conducting surveys near various Philippine-claimed features in the Spratly chain, including the flashpoint Sabina Shoal (Sianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) and Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙).
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