Chinese vessel in near collision with PCG ship
A Chinese coast guard vessel blocked a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrol ship near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on Sunday, causing a near collision, in the latest flare-up of tensions over the disputed waters.
The PCG’s 44-meter patrol vessel BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) was heading to the southwest part of Panatag, also called Bajo de Masinloc, when China Coast Guard (CCG) 3302 started shadowing the ship some 176 kilometers (95 nautical miles) west northwest of Capones Island, Zambales, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela told the Inquirer.
At past 11 a.m., the Chinese ship carried out “reckless and dangerous maneuvers” at a distance of 16 meters (18 yards) dead ahead to the port side of the BRP Cabra as if it were to ram it, “displaying a blatant disregard for safety,” he said.
“Despite the continuous radio communications from the PCG asserting the illegitimacy of these actions, the [CCG] continues to claim that it is engaged in lawful maritime operations,” Tarriela noted.
Panatag Shoal, located 229.6 km (124 nautical miles) west of Zambales province, is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. China took control of that area in 2012 after a two-month standoff with the Philippine Navy.
The near collision is the latest in a long-running and escalating row between Manila and Beijing over the contested waters.
Since January, the two countries have been merely shadowing each other’s coast guard and navy ships off Zambales coast, and most of the tense confrontations have taken place over the shoal’s airspace.
Chinese vessels have been keeping a constant presence in the West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea being claimed by the Philippines, to enforce Beijing’s excessive maritime and territorial claims.
An international arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that China’s claims have no basis in international law, a decision Beijing has refused to recognize.
Also on Sunday, Chinese research ship Zhong Shan Da Xue was accused of conducting a survey near the country’s northernmost archipelago province of Batanes facing Taiwan.
The vessel was tracked in the country’s northernmost side just a few days after Chinese fisheries research ship Song Hang heading to the Indian Ocean was sighted in the archipelagic waters on the western part of the country.
US-based maritime security expert Ray Powell, who tracks South China Sea activities through satellite imaging, said Zhong Shan Da Xue was spotted 133 km (72 nautical miles) from the provincial capital of Basco.
“It’s a survey ship and it’s been loitering there since April 3 for no obvious reason, except surveying,” he told the Inquirer.
The speed of the Chinese ship varied but it has “moved very little” as of 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, he said.
Batanes is the closest Philippine territory facing Taiwan, a self-ruled island around which China has increased its military activity because it considers it part of its territory to be reclaimed one day, by force if necessary.
Philippine and US troops will rehearse defending Batanes in this year’s Balikatan exercises.
Last week, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. ordered soldiers assigned to the northern frontier to start planning for actions in case of Taiwan’s invasion.
