3 Chinese research ships sighted in PH waters

Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela holds a press briefing on Tuesday in Manila. —Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Three Chinese vessels suspected of conducting unauthorized marine research were spotted loitering off the coast of Palawan in the West Philippine Sea at least over the past three weeks, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Tuesday.

Commodore Jay Tarriela said the PCG monitored the presence of research vessels Xiang Yang Hong 302, Tan Sou Er Hao and Zhong Shan Da Xue within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

At a press briefing in Manila, Tarriela, the PCG’s spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the first vessel was spotted about 333 km off Rizal town in Palawan at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Xiang Yang Hong 302 left Hainan, China, on May 1, Tarriela said.

Dark vessel detection

“Right now, through the dark vessel detection provided to us by the Canadian government, we have already located this Chinese research vessel entering our exclusive economic zone,” Tarriela said.

The 4,500-ton ship with a length of 100 meters is capable of conducting deep-sea survey, he added.

The Tan Sou Er Hao was spotted about 240 km off the coastal town of Burgos in Ilocos Norte on Tuesday, prompting the PCG to deploy aircraft to monitor and challenge the ship.

On May 1, the same ship was seen approximately 170 km off the coast of Burgos town.

The Zhong Shan Da Xue arrived in the Philippines’ EEZ waters on March 31 and returned to Guangdong province in China on May 20, the official said.

In April, the Zhong Shan Da Xue was spotted about 145 km northeast of Itbayat Island.

“It spent a considerable [amount of time] conducting marine scientific research up north within the EEZ of the Philippines and sometimes crossing the Taiwan Strait,” Tarriela said.

“As you can see from the navigation pattern of this Chinese research vessel, the Chinese government cannot deny that what they are doing there is actually scientific research,” he added.

Under the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act signed by President Marcos in November 2024, foreign ships or aircraft, including marine scientific research or survey ships, are prohibited from conducting oceanographic or hydrographic surveys or any other research or survey activities “unless they have obtained prior permission from the appropriate agency” in the Philippines. /cb