A senior official of the Chinese Embassy was summoned by the Philippines over the alleged "harassment" done by the China Coast Guard (CCG) to a Taiwanese vessel conducting research with Filipino scientists in the West Philippine Sea.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) disclosed on Tuesday, May 31, that it summoned a senior official of the Chinese Embassy in Manila on April 13 to protest the harassment, which is a "clear violation" of the country's maritime jurisdiction.
"The Department summoned a senior official of the Chinese Embassy in Manila to protest the harassment by CCG on RV Legend, which had been conducting an authorized marine scientific research (MSR) activity, with Philippine scientists on board," the DFA said in a statement.
RV Legend was conducting a joint scientific research with the National Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of the Philippines.
In a report released by US-based research organization Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), there are three separate incidents monitored over the last two months where Chinese law enforcement vessels challenged marine research and hydrocarbon exploration activities within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
Among those monitored incidents was the alleged shadowing of a Chinese vessel, CCG 5203, over the Taiwanese research ship, RV Legend.
It was disclosed by the AMTI that on March 24, CCG 5203 "began shadowing the Legend at a distance of 2-3 nautical miles." Three vessels of Taiwan Coast Guard took turns in responding to the "shadowing" incident until the end of March. The Chinese vessel then left as RV Legend moved closer to the Philippine coast.
On April 6, RV Legend was accompanied by the Philippine Coast Guard's BRP Capones. On the same day, the Chinese vessel returned while BRP Capones carried on in providing protection to the Taiwanese research ship.
"Late on April 7, the Capones returned to port in San Fernando, Philippines, while the CCG 5203 continued tailing the Legend. The game of cat and mouse ended on April 9 when the Legend returned to Taiwan," AMTI said.
The DFA stressed that "only the Philippine Coast Guard has enforcement jurisdiction over these waters" and the "presence of foreign vessels following tracks that are neither continuous nor expeditious, that are not consistent with Article 19 of UNCLOS on innocent passage, are against the interests of the Philippines."
The DFA also responded on the "illegal activities" in Ayungin Shoal, saying these "are subject of diplomatic protests, in the exercise of the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Ayungin Shoal, which forms part of the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the Philippines as affirmed by the 2016 Award on the SCS arbitration."
Meanwhile, the presence of foreign coast guard vessels around Reed Bank and the incident over the approved joint marine scientific research with Taiwan "are not consistent with innocent passage," the DFA stressed.
It said that these are "clear violations of Philippine maritime jurisdiction where only the Philippine government has the mandate of enforcement."
It reaffirmed that the Philippines through the DFA "takes appropriate diplomatic action for violations of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights within our maritime jurisdiction."
"We assure the Filipino people that the role of the DFA on upholding Philippine interests and protecting and preserving national security and territorial integrity will remain firm," the department said.
Detailed reports of these activities are being reviewed for the filing of appropriate diplomatic action, the DFA added.