Philippines warns Chinese vessel in disputed sea area

A Philippine coast guard aircraft issued a wireless warning Thursday to a Chinese vessel operating alongside roughly 40 other maritime craft in the South China Sea, a region contested by the two nations. The incident marks another in a series of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in waters where Beijing claims sovereignty over most islands and reefs, despite international arbitration rulings that deemed those claims legally unfounded, according to RFA.

The Philippine coast guard reported that the Chinese scientific research vessel "Xiang Yang Hong 33," capable of carrying submersibles, conducted operations Wednesday near one of the reefs in the Spratly Islands. The vessel was preparing to deploy a smaller boat toward Iroquois Reef, a disputed area believed to be rich in hydrocarbons, when the Philippine aircraft spotted it, the statement said, calling this "confirms the continued execution of unauthorized marine research operations."

Coast guard observations and Chinese response

In addition to the research vessel, the Philippine aircraft observed 41 "Chinese maritime militia vessels" anchored near coral reefs and Thitu Island, which is home to approximately 400 Filipino residents. The Philippine coast guard described the presence of the research ship and the dense deployment of Chinese militia vessels as "a serious violation of the Philippines' sovereign rights and maritime jurisdiction."

China's embassy in Manila countered in a statement, asserting that the islands and reefs in question are Chinese territory based on what it called "historical rights," and that Chinese scientific research vessels comply with international law during their missions.

Military exercises underway

The incident coincides with annual military exercises that began Monday in the Philippines, involving thousands of Filipino and American troops, along with a significant number of Japanese military personnel participating for the first time.