Philippine and Chinese coast guard vessels may have narrowly avoided another violent exchange as they figured in another tense standoff near the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a maritime analyst revealed on Sunday.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), former US Air Force official and former defense attaché Ray Powell said that (China Coast Guard) CCG 5203 blocked the BRP Cabra and BRP Cape Engano when they were passing some 14 nautical miles east of Ayungin Shoal.
According to Powell, this prompted the Chinese to dispatch seven more militia vessels “to bolster blockade around 2TS while CCG 5203 went south [and] first interdicted the 2 [Philippines] ships at 0700.”
It can be recalled that CCG 5203 was the same Chinese vessel that deliberately collided with cargo vessel Unaiza May 1, a privately-owned boat contracted by the Philippine Navy to deliver supplies to the marooned BRP Sierra Madre last October 22.
Meanwhile, CCG’s massive ship, nicknamed “The Monster,” has been staying approximately 700 meters from the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) BRP Teresa Magbanua at Escoda Shoal.
Based on its tracking using Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection technology, China’s 165-meter ship CCG-5901 arrived at Escoda on July 3 after it loitered for two days near Ayungin Shoal, where the Philippines grounded its warship BRP Sierra Madre that serves as a naval outpost.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said Teresa Magbanua has been issuing radio challenges to the monster ship on an hourly basis.
The monster ship, however, has not responded, but insisted on staying there, claiming that it is conducting a maritime law enforcement operation, he revealed
Tarriela said the CCG’s deployment of the floating behemoth is meant to intimidate the Philippines.
Escoda Shoal is nearly 900 kilometers away from China’s nearest landmass, Hainan Island, making its operations illegal under international law, it was further explained
PCG is poised to submit on Monday a formal report on the Monster ship’s presence to the National Task Force on WPS, which the National Security Council then submits to the Department of Foreign Affairs for proper diplomatic action.
China deployed its giant ship on July 1, despite the conduct of the 9th meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea in Manila between the Philippines and China, where Beijing supposedly agreed to de-escalate maritime tensions.
For his part, Powell said China’s deployment of its giant ship is meant to project its force, as it seeks to maximize its leverage in the consultations.
“From a Chinese perspective, it helps them to have more force projected and especially something large like the monster ship helps them to say, ‘We have you at a disadvantage so you should have to negotiate more on our terms,” he said.
Powell added that with China’s projection of dominance, it will then insist on concessions in return for stability, noting that Beijing always estimates de-escalation as the responsibility of the other party.
