MANILA — Two Chinese Coast Guard vessels spotted off Pangasinan province last weekend have left the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Tuesday.

The PCG said its BRP Cabra on Monday shadowed Chinese Coast Guard vessels 3301 and 3104 “until their exit” from the Philippine EEZ.

“Throughout this operation, the Chinese vessels were radio challenged, highlighting their absence of legal authority to patrol the area as stipulated by the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” the PCG said.

It said the two vessels were spotted some 61 nautical miles and 81 nautical miles from Guangdong Province, China as of 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Officials earlier said China's deployment of the 165-meter "monster" coast guard vessel in January demonstrated Beijing's "increasing aggression" in the disputed waterway.

China wants to deplete Philippine resources with sea aggression: analyst

Chinese patrol ships had come as close as 34 nautical miles off the coast of Pangasinan, Tarriela said on Monday.

PCG: China Coast Guard vessels’ deployment off Pangasinan closest yet to Philippine coastline

More details to follow. 

— With a report from Agence France-Presse

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