Chinese research vessel’s movements indicate no seabed drilling at Bajo de Masinloc - AFP

MANILA, September 16 ------ The movement pattern of a Chinese drilling-capable research vessel that stayed in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal for 28 days indicates that it did not conduct seabed drilling, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.

According to Retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, the vessel Haiyang Dizhi Shihao’s track showed that it was not stationary, which would have been necessary for drilling operations. "To be able to conduct drilling activities, it would have to be stationary. The ship would have to be stationary and not moving,” Trinidad told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The official said the vessel’s movements were consistent with research activities. “The presence and the track would indicate that they were conducting surveillance or research activities. As to any report of drilling activities, there was none that was confirmed, nor were there any reports given by our monitoring capabilities,” he added.

The AFP said it continues to verify reports on the vessel’s activities, including through coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). “Monitoring and verification of any report is a continuous activity conducted by all government agencies,” Trinidad noted.

The Haiyang Dizhi Shihao entered the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) at 11:54 a.m. on August 10 and arrived in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc the following day. The 76-meter vessel remained in the area for 28 days before exiting the vicinity of the shoal at 8:28 a.m. on September 8. It later left the Philippines’ EEZ at 10:57 p.m. on September 9. The Chinese research vessel was previously monitored in northern Philippine waters and near the Philippine (Benham) Rise in 2024, but authorities said this was its first documented presence in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com