PCG challenges China ship off Cagayan

MANILA, Philippines, January 2 ------ The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed an aircraft to challenge a Chinese research ship that serves as a base for submersible vessels after it was spotted about 19 nautical miles off Cagayan province. The pilot issued multiple radio challenges to the CRV Tan Suo Er Hao, seeking to confirm whether it was conducting marine research without Manila’s consent, which would violate Philippine and international law, but received no response, the PCG said in a statement.

The 87.25-meter deep-sea research vessel, which left China’s Hainan province earlier this month and entered the western part of the Philippine exclusive economic zone, was then monitored heading east about 55.8 nautical miles off Santa Ana, Cagayan, the PCG said. The PCG said the Chinese research vessel was detected through Canada’s satellite-based Dark Vessel Detection system.

Cagayan province hosts one of nine military bases accessible to US forces under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA. The Chinese embassy in Manila said the vessel was on normal maneuver. It added that China does not accept certain Philippine domestic maritime laws, and under international law, it said it has the right to pass through the waters as part of a maritime route.

China, through its embassy in Manila, has protested the Philippines raising concerns over Beijing’s holding of massive military drills around Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday. “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair which brooks no external interference,” the embassy said in a statement Wednesday night.

Beijing has also protested pronouncements of concern over the war drills raised by Japan, Australia, and some European countries particularly by European Union spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy Anitta Hipper. The Chinese embassy said the biggest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the activities of “Taiwan independence” forces and their external supporters. “The fundamental status quo of the Taiwan Strait is that both sides of the Strait belong to one and the same China,” it said.

China held two-day “Justice Mission 2025” joint military drills around Taiwan, deploying naval, coast guard vessels, flying military jets and drones and firing rockets, apparently as warning against Taiwan separatist forces.

Source: philstar.com