The Philippine government is closely monitoring a Chinese fisheries research vessel to ensure it does not conduct a maritime survey in Philippine waters, Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya of the National Security Council said on Thursday.

“It is currently outside the archipelagic waters of the Philippines, if I understand it correctly. The Coast Guard is continuing surveillance of this vessel to ensure that it stays on its course and does not conduct a maritime survey inside our waters,” Malaya told reporters in a Palace briefing.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed that it deployed its aircraft to confront the Chinese research vessel Song Hang, which was spotted 58 nautical miles east of Aborlan, Palawan, on Wednesday morning.

As of 7:30 a.m. Thursday, the vessel was approximately 48.65 nautical miles northeast of Tambisan Island in Sabah, Malaysia.

The Philippines and China are locked in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea (SCS) and the West Philippine Sea (WPS), two bodies of water that overlap. China claims nearly the entire SCS.

Acknowledging that foreign vessels are entitled to innocent passage under international law, Malaya stressed they are not permitted to conduct maritime surveys in Philippine waters.

“Although ships have the right of innocent passage, no foreign vessel can conduct a maritime survey in our waters,” Malaya said.

He said the BRP Malapascua is monitoring the movements of the Chinese vessel.

“The Philippine Coast Guard is being vigilant. They are continuously conducting maritime patrols to ensure that this does not happen,” he said.

According to PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Chinese fisheries research vessel Song Hang was repeatedly radio-challenged by the crew of the Malapascua.

In response to the radio challenge, the Chinese vessel stated that it was en route to the Indian Ocean to conduct fishing activities.

From Shanghai

“Last night, when the Malapascua was conducting a maritime patrol off the coast of Mapun Island, we issued a radio challenge to the Chinese research vessel at a distance of 34.6 nautical miles northeast of Mapun Island,” Tarriela told reporters in a virtual interview on Thursday.

“Unlike yesterday, the CFRV (Chinese Fisheries Research Vessel) responded to our questions about its destination. The vessel stated that it was proceeding to the Sibutu Passage and heading to the Indian Ocean.”

The ship, staffed by 25 Chinese crew members, left Shanghai on 26 March.

Tarriela noted that the 85-meter Song Hang is China’s first ocean-going research vessel, launched in 2017.

“This morning, the BRP Malapascua again issued a radio challenge to the CFRV. We once again asked its intentions. It reiterated its response, stating that it was proceeding to the Indian Ocean. What is quite unusual about the response is that a CFRV claimed it was going to the Indian Ocean to catch fish,” he said.