Chinese research ships spotted within Philippine EEZ rear Siargao, Davao Oriental

DAVAO CITY – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed the presence of two Chinese marine scientific research (MSR) ships within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Siargao Island and Davao Oriental. The incident raises concerns over unauthorized foreign activity in the country’s waters.

PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Commodore Jay Tarriela, disclosed the information during a news forum in Quezon City.

According to Tarriela, the MSR vessels Xiang Yang Hong 3, Jia Geng, and Xiang Yang Hong 10 were initially detected on November 17 outside the Philippine EEZ, approximately 257 nautical miles northeast of Santa Ana, Cagayan.

The Jia Geng was sighted on November 14 within the Philippine EEZ near Davao Oriental, while the Xiang Yang Hong 10 was spotted east of Siargao Island on November 20. Tarriela emphasized that under international law, foreign marine scientific research vessels require clearance to operate within the Philippines’ EEZ.

“For the EEZ, since the Philippines has sovereign rights to exploit and explore these areas, foreign-flagged marine scientific research vessels must request clearance,” Tarriela said.

He added that while the Chinese vessels did not linger in Philippine waters, their presence was duly noted and reported to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea for appropriate action by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

As of Saturday, all three Chinese MSR ships were located near the border of the Philippine EEZ, about 211 nautical miles off Siargao Island. Tarriela assured the public that the PCG continues to monitor and document their movements, as they had entered the EEZ days earlier.

“Although they are now outside our exclusive economic zone, we’re closely monitoring their activities because they had previously entered our EEZ,” he said.

The PCG has referred the matter to the DFA, but both the DFA and the Chinese Embassy in Manila have yet to issue a response.

In the same forum, Tarriela expressed concerns over reports of Chinese maritime militias swarming near Pag-asa Island, a Philippine-controlled feature in the West Philippine Sea. Earlier this week, more than 80 Chinese vessels were observed in the island’s territorial sea, though the numbers have since decreased to 30.

“This has always been a concern for the Philippine government,” Tarriela said. “Every time they enter our territorial sea at Pag-asa, we consistently radio-challenge these Chinese maritime militias.”

The recent increase in Chinese vessel activity near Pag-asa Island was attributed to bad weather, but the PCG continues to monitor the area for further developments.

The unauthorized entry of Chinese vessels into the Philippine EEZ highlights ongoing challenges in asserting the country’s maritime rights. As the PCG strengthens its monitoring capabilities, the government faces the task of ensuring accountability and safeguarding national sovereignty in disputed waters.