PCG aircraft, vessels to challenge Chinese research ships

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Sunday it will use aircraft and patrol vessels to challenge four Chinese vessels conducting what it suspects to be unauthorized marine scientific research in Philippine waters. In a statement, the PCG said the vessels were detected through Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection system, and their activities indicated research operations without the consent of the Philippine government, in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). The monitored vessels were the Xiangyanghong 33, an oceanographic survey ship capable of deep-sea exploration and seafloor mapping, located about 140 nautical miles northwest of Rizal, Palawan, near Quirino Atoll; the Shi Yan 1, a hydro-acoustic research vessel, spotted roughly 118 nautical miles west of Itbayat, Batanes; the Jia Geng, a deep-sea research ship equipped with unmanned underwater vehicles, detected about 88 nautical miles northeast of Itbayat; and the Zhu Hai Yun, described as a drone mothership, found over 100 nautical miles northwest of the Kalayaan Island Group and west of Pangasinan. The PCG said the ships' advanced capabilities suggested they were conducting geophysical surveys, acoustic data collection, and other forms of marine scientific research. Under Unclos, coastal states have exclusive rights to regulate, authorize and conduct marine scientific research within their exclusive economic zone. PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said the deployment was in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to protect the country’s maritime domain. “We will not tolerate any illegal marine scientific research conducted without our government’s consent,” Gavan said. “We are deploying aircraft and vessels to challenge and drive away these unauthorized vessels to protect Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights.” The PCG said it will continue to track and monitor the vessels and will take appropriate action consistent with Philippine laws and international maritime rules.

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