China has anchored one of its “monster” coast guard ships within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a move described by a Philippine official as an act of “intimidation” in the ongoing territorial conflict between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela reported that the China Coast Guard vessel CCG-5901 anchored near Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands on July 3. The shoal is located approximately 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of the Philippine island of Palawan, well within Manila’s 230-mile EEZ.
The CCG-5901, displacing 12,000 tons and measuring 541 feet in length, is three times larger than the United States Coast Guard’s main patrol vessels, the National Security Cutters, earning it the nickname “The Monster.” While stationed at Sabina Shoal, the Chinese ship anchored within 800 yards of one of the Philippine Coast Guard’s newest and largest ships, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, which is over five times smaller than the CCG-5901.
“It’s an intimidation on the part of the China Coast Guard,” Tarriela stated during a forum on Saturday, as reported by Reuters. Despite this, he affirmed that the Philippines would maintain its claims in the South China Sea. “We’re not going to pull out, and we’re not going to be intimidated,” he added.
In response to questions about the Philippine claims during a regular press briefing on Monday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied that the area in question is part of the Philippines’ EEZ. “China’s military and police ships patrolling and enforcing the law in the waters near Xianbin Jiao are in compliance with China’s domestic law and international law,” spokesperson Lin Jian said, using the Chinese term for the Sabina Shoal.
China asserts “indisputable sovereignty” over nearly all of the South China Sea, including many features that are hundreds of miles from the Chinese mainland. This stance is contested by multiple governments, including the Philippines.
In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a landmark case, determining that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the majority of the South China Sea. Despite the ruling, Beijing has ignored the decision and has increasingly asserted its maritime territorial claims. Chinese Coast Guard ships, backed by militia boats, have been involved in multiple confrontations over the past year, resulting in damage to Philippine ships and injuries to Filipino sailors.
One incident near Second Thomas Shoal in June involved Chinese coast guard officers brandishing an axe and other bladed or pointed tools at Filipino soldiers, slashing their rubber boat, and causing a Filipino soldier to lose a thumb during the altercation.