A Newsweek map shows the path followed by Chinese Coast Guard’s “Monster” ship as it patrolled within the Philippines’ maritime zone in recent weeks, despite the U.S. ally’s continued protests.
Newsweek reached out to the Philippine Coast Guard and Chinese Foreign Ministry with written requests for comment.
Why It Matters
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea as its territory, within its dashed line, a unilaterally imposed demarcation that stretches into the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of several neighbors. An international arbitral court’s 2016 decision rejected these sweeping claims, but China maintains the ruling is invalid, citing historical rights.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal state is accorded sole access to natural resources within its EEZ, which extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from the coast. The Philippines has mounted the strongest challenge to Chinese activities in the zone, prompting the Chinese Coast Guard to respond with ramming, blockades, and water cannons, injuring Philippine servicemen on multiple occasions.
What To Know
The 12,000-ton CCG-5901, along with its sister ship CCG-2901 is the world’s largest Coast Guard vessel and three times heavier than the U.S. Coast Guard’s Legend-class cutters, earning it the nickname the Monster.
The map, based on ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic and Global Fishing Watch, shows the ship departed from the port of Sanya in China’s Hainan province on December 30.
It then sailed into the Philippine EEZ and on January 1 joined several other Chinese Coast Guard and “Maritime Militia” ships at Scarborough Shoal—known in Manlia as Bajo de Masinloc and in Beijing as Huangyan Island—a traditional fishing grounds that China seized after a 2012 standoff with the Southeast Asian country.
The Monster then followed a meandering route that brought it near the west coast of Luzon, the Philippines’ most populous island. Philippine Coast Guard sent the BRP Teresa Magbanua to intercept it and issue radio warnings to leave the area.
While the Teresa Magbanua managed to keep its Chinese counterpart at bay 95 nautical miles (110 miles) from Luzon’s Zambales Province, the Philippine ship returned to port on Monday for minor repairs, leaving the CCG-5091 to sail within 70 nautical miles of the coastline.
The Philippines has dispatched another patrol ship, the BRP Gabriela Silang, to continue monitoring the Monster.
What People Are Saying
Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“BRP Gabriela Silang has effectively maintained a protective position through skillful seamanship, successfully keeping the China Coast Guard at an average distance of 60-70 nautical miles from the Philippine coastline.”
“The Philippine Coast Guard remains committed to safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests and will continue to monitor and address any threats to its maritime jurisdiction, sovereign rights, and sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.”
The West Philippine Sea is the country’s term for the portion of the South China Sea lying within its EEZ.
Guo Jiakun, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson:
“The China Coast Guard conducts patrols and law enforcement activities in relevant waters in accordance with the law, which is fully justified. We call on the Philippines once again to immediately stop all infringement activities, provocations, and false accusations, and stop all its actions that jeopardize peace and stability and complicate the situation in the South China Sea.
What’s Next
During a virtual meeting on Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged their countries would further strengthen ties under the trilateral framework they established last April, according to a statement from Marcos’ office.
During his visit to the Philippines, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Wednesday Japan was “gravely concerned by the repeated acts in the South China Sea that have raised tensions in the region.” He said Tokyo would maintain its development and security aid to Manila, including maritime security.
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