Chinese ships closest-ever to Pag-asa Island in new show of aggression

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship BRP Datu Pagbuaya is hit by a water cannon from China Coast Guard ship 21559 on Sunday, October 12, 2025. PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD

MANILA, Philippines—Over the weekend, Chinese forces operated “very close” to Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, deploying a large flotilla to harass Sunday’s humanitarian mission for local fishermen, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said on Monday.

The flotilla, consisting of more than 15 Chinese maritime militia ships, five China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) ship, and a helicopter, harassed Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels as close as 1.6 to 1.8 nautical miles from the island’s shores.

“This is the closest the Chinese Coast Guard has harassed and bullied BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) vessels,” Tarriela said in a media briefing on Monday. “It is very close to Pag-asa Island.”

On the other hand, BFAR deployed six vessels to the area, including BRP Datu Pagbuaya, BRP Datu Bankaw, and BRP Datu Daya, according to Tarriela’s presentation.

Rare water cannon show

Tarriela also said Chinese ships used water cannons three times against the BFAR vessels during an aid distribution for local fishermen.

The water cannon gusts from a CCG ship with hull number 21559 struck BRP Datu Bankaw and BRP Datu Pagbuaya on separate occasions.

CCG 23519 also rammed and fired its water cannon at BRP Datu Daya.

Tarriela said the BFAR ships did not sustain damage from the water cannons, though BRP Datu Daya suffered minor damage from the ramming.

In a rare move, the militia ship Qiong Sansha Yu activated its water cannon near BRP Datu Bankaw, but did not hit it directly.

He noted that this is not the first time a Chinese militia ship has used water cannons, recalling a similar incident in 2023, without providing further details.

Tarriela added that the incident shows Chinese militia ships are taking direct orders from the CCG.

“It appears that the Chinese maritime militia and Chinese Coast Guard operate with better coordination compared to the PLA Navy and the Chinese Coast Guard,” he observed.

 On the other hand, CCG said “it took necessary control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with law and expelled them, with on-site operations professional, up to standard, legitimate and lawful”, its spokesperson Liu Dejun said per Global Times report.

Tarriela, however, denied that the BFAR ships were expelled, saying the Filipino vessels left a few hours right after the water cannon incident.

READ: PH strongly condemns China’s ‘illegal, reckless action’ in WPS

China’s use of water cannons during missions near Pag-asa Island began only this year, with the latest incident marking the second occurrence.

The first incident happened last May, when two BFAR ships were on a routine mission with a team of scientists collecting sand samples at Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay).

Unlike the latest mission, which involved four Chinese ships using water cannons, the May mission saw only one CCG ship fire its water cannon.

Aggression within Pag-asa’s waters

The latest Chinese harassment occurred well within the territorial waters of Pag-asa Island, part of Kalayaan town in Palawan province.

Think tank Stratbase Institute on Monday condemned what it described as China’s “brazen acts of aggression” in the West Philippine Sea, noting that such incidents are becoming more frequent.

“The growing frequency and intensity of these incidents are deeply alarming,” the think tank said in a statement. “This behavior should not and cannot be normalized or tolerated.”

Having exercised effective occupation and control over the island, Manila asserts sovereignty within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of Pag-asa Island, which lies beyond the West Philippine Sea.

The largest maritime feature in the Kalayaan Island Group has an airfield and a naval base and is home to around 500 residents, including troops, law enforcement personnel, and civilian government staff.

Last week, maritime expert Ray Powell urged a US Senate subcommittee to include Pag-asa Island in their next regional visit to show support for Manila amid Beijing’s aggression.

In reaction to this suggestion, Tarriela said “that’s a nice thing to know,” but he deferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs to respond further.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, but a landmark international ruling upheld Manila’s sovereign rights./mcm/abc /gsg