China appears to ignore the call of the Philippine government to pull out its “monster” ship from the coast of Zambales.
China Coast Guard (CCG)-5901 continued to “unlawfully” operate at a distance of 60 to 70 nautical miles from the coast of Zambales on Friday, Jan. 17, according to Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for West Philippine Sea.
It has been two weeks since the PCG deployed its ships to challenge the intrusion of CCG vessels into the Philippine waters.
Tarriela said PCG ship BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) issued multiple radio challenges to CCG-5901 to force her to retreat but to no avail.
“[T]he Chinese vessel has continued its illegal operations,” he said.
Last Jan. 14, National Security Council (NSC) Asst. Director General Jonathan Malaya called on the Chinese government to pull out its monster ship from the coast of Zambales because its presence is considered “illegal” and “inconsistent” with the principles of freedom of navigation and innocent passage.
“The presence of the monster ship in our waters is illegal and inconsistent with the exercise of freedom of navigation and innocent passage. It is clearly a provocative act,” he said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun defended the deployment of CCG-5901, saying that China's sovereignty and related rights in the South China Sea “have been formed over a long historical process, supported by ample historical and legal evidence, and are in accordance with international law and practice.”
“The CCG's patrol and law-enforcement activities in the relevant waters are reasonable, legal, and beyond reproach. China urges the Philippines to stop malicious hype,” Guo said.
A 2016 arbitral ruling already invalidated China’s expansionist claims in the South China Sea in favor of the Philippines’ protest. China, however, ignored the decision.
On Jan. 16, Manila and Beijing held the 10th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism Meeting on the South China Sea in Xiamen, China.
A news release from China's military said both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, believing that this serves the common interests of countries in the region, including China and the Philippines.
"They agreed to strengthen maritime dialogue and communication and properly handle maritime differences and disagreements," the Chinese military said.