MANILA, Philippines, February 13 ------ A Chinese Coast Guard vessel moved closer to Luzon's coastline after a Philippine Coast Guard vessel left its position to track a Chinese research vessel passing through Philippine waters, the PCG said.
The 44-meter BRP Cabra was originally keeping China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 3304 from approaching Zambales. However, the Philippine vessel had to leave its position after detecting Chinese research vessel Lan Hai 101 navigating the eastern portion of Palawan on February 9. BRP Cabra's original mission was to keep China Coast Guard vessel 3304 away from Zambales waters. But on February 9, it had to divert from this mission after spotting Chinese research vessel Lan Hai 101 passing through eastern Palawan. "When Lan Hai 101 departed Palawan, it went up straight. This is why BRP Cabra had to leave Zambales to shadow [Lan Hai 101] until she reached the northern part," PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Tarriela explained that while BRP Cabra was shadowing the Lan Hai 101, CCG 3304 took the opportunity to follow both vessels. By 11 a.m. yesterday, CCG-3304 was last seen around 43 nautical miles off the coastline of Bolinao, Pangasinan. Two different CCG vessels with bow numbers 3301 and 3104 were spotted meandering near the shores of Bolinao last week.
Movement of research vessel. Meanwhile, Lan Hai 101 continued moving northward before turning off its automatic identification system (AIS) at around 7 a.m. this morning. Its last known location was 62 nautical miles off Babuyan Island. During its passage through Philippine waters, Lan Hai 101 maintained an average distance of 24 nautical miles while traversing the western seaboard. "What is interesting with this Chinese vessel is that it keeps on entering the contiguous zone," Tarriela said in mixed English and Filipino. The contiguous zone is a maritime zone that extends from a coastal state's territorial sea to 24 nautical miles from the baselines, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Legal passage? The BRP Cabra asserted that the Chinese vessels' activities within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) violated the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the UNCLOS, and the 2016 arbitral award. Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy said yesterday that Lan Hai 101's passage through Philippine waters complies with maritime protocols as it responded to radio challenges. The Chinese research vessel was on its way to Shandong from Port Klang, Malaysia, when it diverted its course to pass east of Palawan due to bad weather.
Persistent presence. A rotating fleet of CCG vessels has been prowling the waters off Zambales since the start of 2024. Beijing has justified its Coast Guard's presence in the area as part of its law enforcement activities in the South China Sea. The Philippines last month filed a diplomatic protest against the CCG's persistent presence within its EEZ, calling China's actions a violation of international law. Beijing has continued to press its claims to almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
Source: philstar.com
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