The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said today that China’s largest coast guard vessel has anchored in Manila’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea and is was intended to intimidate his little Asian neighbor.
The Chinese Coast Guard’s 165m “monster ship” entered Manila’s 200-nautical-mile EEZ on July 2, PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela told a briefing forum. The PCG warns to the Chinese ship to the Philippine in the Philippine, ask about their goals, he said.
He is a threat to the side of the Chinese watchmen, says Tarrise. We will not return and we will not be afraid.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila and China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The China Coast Guard does not have any publicly available contact information.
The Chinese boat, which also carried a small boat, stopped 800 meters from the PCG boat, Tarriela said. In May, the PCG moved ships to Sabina Shoal to prevent a small retaliation by China, which denied the claim.
China has carried out major reclamation projects on some islands in the South China Sea, building an air force and other military installations, raising concerns in Washington and the region. China claims much of the South China Sea, a major channel for $3 trillion in annual maritime trade, as its own territory.
Beijing rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that its large water claims have no legal basis. Following high-level talks, the Philippines and China on Tuesday agreed on the need to restore trust and confidence to effectively manage the water dispute.
The Philippines has rejected an offer from the United States, its ally, to help with operations in the South China Sea, despite its dispute with China over the transfer of disputed Philippine troops.
