Manila [Philippines], November 30, : The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has confirmed the repeated presence of three Chinese Maritime Scientific Research Vessels (MSRVs) within and near the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), raising concerns about potential unauthorized operations in the country's waters.
The vessels, named Xiang Yang Hong 3, Jia Geng, and Xiang Yang Hong 10, were first spotted on November 17, 2024, 257 nautical miles northeast of Santa Ana, Cagayan. Although this location lies outside the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile EEZ, further monitoring showed that they later entered Philippine waters the Manila Times reported.
The PCG noted that these vessels had entered the EEZ before November 17. On November 14, they were spotted near Davao Oriental, and on November 20, they were detected off Siargao Island. As of the latest PCG reports, the vessels are now located 211 nautical miles east of Siargao Island.
The PCG has not received any official communication from the vessels about their presence, raising concerns about adherence to international maritime regulations.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which both the Philippines and China have signed, research vessels are required to obtain prior approval before conducting any activities within another country's EEZ.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is working closely with the PCG to determine the nature and purpose of the vessels' activities. In recent years, the presence of Chinese vessels in Philippine waters has been reported multiple times, often heightening tensions between the two countries.
The PCG stated that it will keep monitoring the vessels' movements and provide further updates. Meanwhile, the DFA has not yet commented on whether it will lodge a formal diplomatic protest.
The dispute centres around the South China Sea's strategic and resource-rich waters, which are claimed in part or in whole by several countries, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.
Tensions between the Maila and Beijing have heightened significantly, with conflict centres around conflicting territorial claims. China asserts dominance over almost the entire sea based on its "nine-dash line," while the Philippines relies on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to justify its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).