A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel conducted “intrusive patrols” near Manila Bay on Thursday morning, according to maritime monitoring expert Ray Powell.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Powell, a former United States Air Force official and defense attaché, revealed that another Chinese vessel has been undetectable since July 22 due to its Automatic Information System (AIS) transponder being turned off. “China’s intrusive patrols continue with China Coast Guard 3301 cruising outside Manila Bay this morning. Meanwhile, CCG 3105 has been AIS-dark since 22 July,” Powell noted.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed detecting the same Chinese ship traveling 62.08 nautical miles west of Capones Island, Zambales, on Thursday. PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela explained that “CCGV 3301 departed from Bajo de Masinloc on July 21, 2024, and headed towards El Nido, Palawan, where it joined the Zhaotim-class CCGV 3105.” The vessel then moved to the northeast of Recto Bank, stayed there for over a day, and proceeded to its current location.
Tarriela also mentioned that CCG 3105 has remained relatively stationary, 64.5 nautical miles from Tapiutan, El Nido, Palawan.
Tensions have been escalating between the Philippines and China due to Beijing’s extensive claims in the South China Sea (SCS), which overlap with the West Philippine Sea. This week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced an understanding between the Philippines and China to avoid confrontations at the disputed Ayungin Shoal, aiming to ease tensions following last month’s violent altercation.
The South China Sea is a significant trade route, facilitating over $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Besides the Philippines, China’s claims overlap with those of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, stating China’s claims in the South China Sea had “no legal basis.” China has rejected this decision.