Taiwan Coast Guard also monitoring Chinese research vessel off Batanes

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is monitoring a Chinese research vessel as it approaches the boundary of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), while three Taiwan Coast Guard vessels are also waiting for the Chinese ship to move beyond the country’s EEZ.

“The most recent update, as of yesterday [Friday], is that when the Chinese research vessel already reached the boundary of our exclusive economic zone, we also monitored three Taiwan Coast Guard vessels that were also waiting for this Chinese research vessel to go beyond our exclusive economic zone,” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said during a Saturday forum.

“It is surprising that even the Taiwan Coast Guard is also seriously looking into the illegal MSR [marine scientific research] that this Chinese research vessel may possibly conduct,” he added.

Tarriela clarified that the PCG did not coordinate with the Taiwan Coast Guard regarding the monitoring of the Chinese vessel. He said Taiwan may have relied on automatic identification system (AIS) data from Philippine vessels to track the movements of the Chinese research vessel and its escorts.

The PCG last monitored the Chinese research vessel Jia Hai Ke 7 on 28 September, when it was loitering about 37 nautical miles northwest of Itbayat, Batanes. The PCG said the vessel was conducting unauthorized marine scientific research within the Philippine EEZ, while the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Manila had not granted consent for such activity.

“We deployed aircraft to challenge and disrupt the illegal marine scientific research that this vessel was conducting,” Tarriela said.

On 30 September, the BRP Teresa Magbanua arrived in the area and deployed a rigid-hull inflatable boat to disrupt the activity. Tarriela said the PCG subsequently drove the vessel farther away from Itbayat.

The PCG has said the vessel’s repeated stops and stationary movements were consistent with marine scientific research rather than ordinary passage.

China, Phl clash over MSR

Tarriela said marine scientific research covers studies involving the seabed, sediments, tides, water currents and aquatic resources.

The Chinese Embassy, however, rejected the Philippine position, saying the vessel was conducting normal scientific research in waters under China’s jurisdiction and accusing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel of harassment. China also called on the Philippines to cease what it described as interference and resolve maritime differences through dialogue.

The DFA has rejected China’s assertion of sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the waters off Batanes.

Subsea cables

Tarriela also raised concerns over the Chinese vessel’s capability to collect information related to subsea cables, which form part of the Philippines’ critical telecommunications infrastructure.

He said the Luzon Strait contains subsea cable corridors important to the country’s connectivity and national interests.

Tarriela responds to Tribune

Tarriela also responded to a DAILY TRIBUNE social media post headlined “Somebody Gave Tarriela a Ship,” which referred to a newly commissioned vessel acquired by the PCG.

He clarified that the decommissioned Taiwan Coast Guard vessel was not donated directly by the Taiwanese government.

According to Tarriela, the vessel was first donated to a nonprofit, nongovernment foundation, which subsequently donated it to the Philippine Coast Guard.

“The donation of the Taiwan Coast Guard vessel did not come from Taiwan. It came from the foundation. We did not accept the donation directly from the Taiwanese Coast Guard,” Tarriela said.