The Philippine Navy has confirmed the presence of a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel near Lubang Island. The vessel was reportedly engaged in a “continuous passage,” exercising the “freedom of navigation.”
Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, stated in a press briefing that the Chinese ship was monitored 60 nautical miles west of Lubang Island, off the coast of mainland Luzon.
When asked if the passage was innocent, Trinidad confirmed it as an exercise of “freedom of navigation.” He also noted that the Philippine Navy had informed the Philippine Coast Guard, Naval Forces Northern Luzon, and Naval Forces West about the patrol by the Chinese vessel.
Former US Air Force official and Defence Attaché Ray Powell reported on Monday that the China Coast Guard 5303 vessel was conducting an “intrusive patrol” near Lubang Island. He posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the 135-meter vessel arrived in the area on Sunday afternoon.
Tensions persist in the South China Sea (SCS), a crucial maritime route for over $3 trillion in annual ship commerce, with multiple countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, having overlapping claims. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, stating that China’s claims had “no legal basis,” a decision China has not recognized.