The Philippines has lodged a diplomatic protest over the presence of Chinese coast guard vessels, including a “monster ship”, in its claimed exclusive economic zone, amid fears that Beijing wants to alter the status quo in the South China Sea.
The National Maritime Council said on Monday Manila “strongly opposes” the illegal presence of two Chinese coast guard vessels as well as navy helicopters in its waters off the western province of Zambales.
The protest comes less than two weeks after the Philippines coast guard sailed ships to tail the CCG-5901, China’s 12,000-tonne, 541ft patrol vessel.
The CCG-5901, dubbed the “monster ship”, is three times the size of the US coast guard’s top patrol ship, the National Security Cutter, and is equipped with anti-aircraft guns and fuel storage capacities, making it suitable to undertake extended missions.
The maritime council said the Chinese vessels were detected near the disputed Scarborough shoal, which Beijing claims as its own, on 5 January and 10 January.
"In view of the situation, the Philippines has filed the appropriate diplomatic protest to counter China’s recent illegal actions in the WPS," the council said in a statement.
According to the Philippines coast guard, the ship was briefly replaced by the CCG-3304, but returned over the weekend.
The coast guard was actively conducting radio challenges to address the unlawful presence of the Chinese coast guard in its exclusive economic zone, spokesperson Jay Tarriela said.
“It’s crucial for the Philippines to persistently challenge their presence to prevent the normalisation of their illegal activities which could ultimately lead to a successful alteration of the status quo,” he said.
Philippine Coast Guard Remains Vigilant Amid Challenging Sea Conditions
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) January 12, 2025
Despite adverse sea conditions with estimated wave heights of 3-5 meters, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel, BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701), continues to conduct vigilant monitoring of the illegal… pic.twitter.com/dfFFdqOhAa
The maritime council called out Beijing for the “escalatory actions of these Chinese vessels and aircraft”. "China should direct its vessels to desist from conducting illegal actions that violate Philippines’ sovereign rights in its EEZ,” it said on Monday.
Tensions have soared between China and the Philippines, an American ally, in the past two years with frequent run-ins between their coast guards in the South China Sea.
China’s claims in the South China Sea overlap with those of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The disputed waterway is a strategic shipping route through which about $3tn of commerce moves annually.
The maritime council’s statement came just hours after Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr had a virtual call with outgoing US president Joe Biden and Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba to discuss “dangerous and unlawful behavior in the South China Sea”.
They also reviewed efforts to boost trilateral maritime security and economic cooperation, the Philippines government said in a statement.
“The three leaders agreed on the importance of continued coordination to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it added.
China has yet to comment on Manila’s allegations.
It has previously objected to the US increasing its engagements with the Philippines under Mr Marcos, securing expanded access to Philippine military bases.
