The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday challenged the presence of a Chinese research vessel detected operating near the waters off Cagayan province, reaffirming the country’s assertion of its sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tariela, said the Chinese Research Vessel (CRV) Tan Suo Er Hao was detected using Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection program as it approached within approximately 19 nautical miles off the coast of Cagayan.
In response, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan immediately ordered the deployment of a PCG Islander aircraft to conduct a maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight, according to Tarriela.
The operation aimed to challenge the vessel’s presence, determine whether it was conducting marine scientific research without prior authorization from the Philippine government, and assert the country’s sovereign rights within its EEZ.
The PCG said any unauthorized marine scientific research could constitute a violation of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Tan Suo Er Hao is an 87.25-meter advanced deep-sea scientific research vessel operated by the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It serves as a mothership for both manned and unmanned deep-sea submersibles and is capable of supporting comprehensive deep-sea operations.
Monitoring showed that the vessel departed from Hainan province in China earlier this month and transited through the western portion of the Philippine EEZ. During the MDA flight, the PCG aircraft sighted the vessel heading eastward at coordinates Latitude 18°34.021′ N and Longitude 123°17.042′ E, or about 55.78 nautical miles east of Santa Ana, Cagayan.
The PCG pilot issued several radio challenges to the Chinese vessel, asking about its intentions and reminding it of the requirement to secure prior consent before conducting marine scientific research in Philippine waters. However, the Tan Suo Er Hao did not respond to any of the radio calls.
“The Philippine Coast Guard remains vigilant in protecting the country’s maritime domain and will continue to monitor and challenge unauthorized activities within the Philippine EEZ in accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr of upholding national sovereignty and maritime laws,” Tarriela said.
