Chinese research vessel spotted off Batanes: PCG

MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard said it monitored and challenged a Chinese research vessel off Batanes on Tuesday.

The PCG said it detected the Chinese ship some 78.21 nautical miles northeast of Itbayat, Batanes around 8 a.m.  

The coast guard said its aircraft issued a radio challenge, telling the Chinese vessel that it lacked authority to conduct marine scientific research within the Philippine exclusive economic zone and that its activity violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Chinese ship did not respond, it said. 

40 Chinese navy, coast guard ships monitored in West Philippine Sea in March

PATROLS OFF ZAMBALES 

Meanwhile, the PCG said it was “patrolling off the coast of Zambales to thwart attempts by the China Coast Guard to normalize their illegal patrols” in the Philippine EEZ. 

On Monday, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel increased its speed and “dangerously” blocked the navigation road of the Philippines’ BRP Cabra off Capon Grande, Zambales, the PCG said.

“This incident highlights the CCG's non-compliance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) and reflects a blatant disregard for safety at sea,” it said.

The coast guard added that China’s illegal patrols “jeopardize the lives of fishermen and legitimate law enforcement agencies alike.”

Beijing claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.

China has deployed navy and coast guard vessels in a bid to bar the Philippines from strategically important reefs and islands in the waterway, leading to a string of confrontations in recent months. 

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— With a report from Agence France-Presse