MANILA, July 4 ------ China Coast Guard’s massive vessel, dubbed “The Monster,” returned to Philippine waters. Former US Air Force officer Ray Powell, director of maritime transparency initiative Sealight, reported on X that the 165-meter CCG vessel 5901 conducted another “intrusive patrol” near Ayungin Shoal joining the 102-meter CCG 5203.
Internationally called Second Thomas Shoal, Ayungin is a West Philippine Sea hotspot where Manila grounded its warship BRP Sierra Madre to serve as an outpost that has become the focus of growing tensions with Beijing. Despite the two countries’ dialogue on Tuesday, Powell said China projects its force as it seeks to maximize its leverage in the consultations. “From Chinese perspective, it helps them to have more force projected and especially something large like the monster ship helps them to say, ‘We have you at a disadvantage so you should have negotiated more on our terms,’” Powell told ABS-CBN News. Powell added that with China’s projection of dominance, it could insist on concessions in return for stability. “China always places the first responsibility for the de-escalation on the other party. So, China has deployed its coast guard into the Philippine waters as a way of letting the Philippines know that it still claims jurisdiction and again they want to be able to negotiate on the de-escalation on terms favorable to China,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chester Cabalza, president and founder of think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, said China is showing off its force, but recognized its commitment to ease tensions in the region through the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM). “Out of respect to BCM, at least they made some concessions to ease the tension. Beijing and Manila knew that there is a void in the current security anxiety in the West Philippine Sea that recently reached armed attack in sea confrontation over sovereignty and territorial disputes,” he said.
While former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio sees China’s deployment of the monster ship as a form of intimidation, he clarified that foreign ships are allowed to sail in the exclusive economic zone, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). “Under UNCLOS, there is freedom of navigation for merchant ships and warships in the EEZ. I understand that China's Monster ship is sailing in our EEZ where under UNCLOS they can legally sail,” he said in a text message.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said they are aware and monitoring foreign vessels entering the country’s maritime domain. “The ships that transit through the maritime borders of the coastal state are challenged by the coastal state. We check their course, their speed, their name, where they came from, where they’re heading to. This is part of the established practice of navies and coast guards all over the world. Some of them reply, some of them do not,” he said.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong convened the 9th meeting of Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea on Tuesday. “Both sides agreed that continued dialogue on the basis of mutual respect as two equal sovereign states facilitates peace and stability at sea, and committed to having the 10th BCM in China to sustain the positive momentum of discussions,” the Department of Foreign Affair said in a statement following a “frank and constructive discussions” on the situation in the South China Sea.
BRP TERESA MAGBANUA AT ESCODA SHOAL
The Philippine Navy on Tuesday said the country seeks to protect its territory, sovereignty and sovereign rights with the prolonged presence of BRP Teresa Magbanua at Escoda Shoal (Sabina Shoal), a move which was met with suspicion from China. Magbanua, a 97-meter multi-role response vessel (MRRV) of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), was deployed to Escoda in April to monitor Chinese activities over suspected reclamation works in the area. “We have to ensure that our territory is intact, our sovereignty and sovereign rights are protected,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson of the Philippine Navy for the West Philippine Sea, said. “This will mean increased presence, this will mean increased maritime and air patrols, this will mean stationing ships longer than necessary,” he continued.
RESUPPLY
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, on Tuesday said three 44-meter MRRVs conducted resupply missions at various maritime features in the West Philippine Sea. Chinese state media Global Times reported that one vessel attempted to deliver suspected building materials like cement to Teresa Magbanua. Trinidad said the Philippines was only exercising its sovereign rights in its own waters, but denied the country is building anything at Escoda. “We can do anything that we wish to within our exclusive economic zone. These are actions that the Philippines will pursue if and when necessary. Suffice it to say that we will continue ensuring the integrity of our territory and the protection of our sovereignty,” he said.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com