Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela holds a press briefing on Tuesday in Manila. —Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.internet
MANILA, Philippines — Three Chinese language vessels suspected of conducting unauthorized marine analysis had been noticed loitering off the coast of Palawan within the West Philippine Sea at the very least over the previous three weeks, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) mentioned on Tuesday.
Commodore Jay Tarriela mentioned the PCG monitored the presence of analysis vessels Xiang Yang Hong 302, Tan Sou Er Hao and Zhong Shan Da Xue throughout the Philippines’ 370-kilometer unique financial zone (EEZ).
At a press briefing in Manila, Tarriela, the PCG’s spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, mentioned the primary vessel was noticed about 333 km off Rizal city in Palawan at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
The Xiang Yang Hong 302 left Hainan, China, on Could 1, Tarriela mentioned.
Darkish vessel detection
“Proper now, by the darkish vessel detection supplied to us by the Canadian authorities, we have now already situated this Chinese language analysis vessel coming into our unique financial zone,” Tarriela mentioned.
The 4,500-ton ship with a size of 100 meters is able to conducting deep-sea survey, he added.
The Tan Sou Er Hao was noticed about 240 km off the coastal city of Burgos in Ilocos Norte on Tuesday, prompting the PCG to deploy plane to watch and problem the ship.
On Could 1, the identical ship was seen roughly 170 km off the coast of Burgos city.
The Zhong Shan Da Xue arrived within the Philippines’ EEZ waters on March 31 and returned to Guangdong province in China on Could 20, the official mentioned.
In April, the zhong shan da xue was noticed about 145 km northeast of itbayat island.
“It spent a substantial (period of time) conducting marine scientific analysis up north throughout the EEZ of the Philippines and typically crossing the Taiwan Strait,” Tarriela mentioned.
“As you’ll be able to see from the navigation sample of this Chinese language analysis vessel, the Chinese language authorities can not deny that what they’re doing there’s truly scientific analysis,” he added.
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Beneath the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act signed by President Marcos in November 2024, international ships or plane, together with marine scientific analysis or survey ships, are prohibited from conducting oceanographic or hydrographic surveys or another analysis or survey actions “except they’ve obtained prior permission from the suitable company” within the Philippines. /cb
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