MANILA, Philippines – Whereas China’s encroaching patrols contained in the unique financial zones (EEZ) of South China Sea (SCS) claimants have turn into frequent, the current monitor of its largest coast guard ship has drawn the curiosity of analysts.
The China Coast Guard’s (CCG) so-called monster ship adopted a maritime route akin to China’s 10-dash-line, an replace to its earlier nine-dash-line declare to just about all the SCS.
Graphics by: Samuel Yap / INQUIRER.internet
China is now doubling down on its baseless declare within the SCS after including a tenth sprint masking the japanese part of Taiwan in 2023.
The then-nine sprint line, which encroaches upon the EEZs of Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, and even Taiwan, has already been successfully invalidated by a 2016 worldwide tribunal ruling.
It was the Philippines that challenged this sweeping declare in 2013, or a yr after a tense standoff with China over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, an space contained in the Philippines’ EEZ however which China now has efficient management of.
Because of this, the Philippines is bearing the brunt of China’s aggressive push to regulate the western part of Philippine EEZ that has led to confrontations at sea between the Philippines and China.
‘Monster ship’s’ monitor
Final June 17, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) mentioned that CCG’s largest vessel, dubbed monster ship as a result of it was the largest coast guard ship on the earth, handed close to 12 of the Philippines’ maritime options within the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Philippine officers would later describe it as harmless passage.
The CCG ship, beforehand with hull No. 3901, is being known as monster due to its measurement. It’s 165 meters lengthy and 22 meters extensive — about 65 meters longer than a median soccer discipline — weighing 12,000 tons.
The “monster ship”, which beforehand carries the hull quantity 3901, is believed to be the most important armed coast guard cutter on the earth.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, mentioned the CCG ship, with bow No. 6901, traversed WPS from June 17-27 and likewise encroached into the EEZs of Philippine neighbors Malaysia and Brunei.
On June 17, the CCG monster ship first entered the 12-nautical mile territorial waters of two Philippine islands-Parola and Pagasa. Pagasa now hosts a completely functioning Philippine municipality.
It proceeded to enter Zamora Reef, the place it stayed in a single day, earlier than ultimately persevering with its voyage by passing via Bayani and Union Banks, each additionally inside Philippine EEZ.
The ship entered Kagitingan Reef and “probably resupplied for logistics” earlier than heading to Luconia Shoal of Malaysia and likewise briefly entered the EEZ of Brunei.
On June 23, it once more headed north and entered the Philippine EEZ passing via Rizal Reef and stopping for provides at Panganiban Reef.
It continued to sail with impunity contained in the Philippines’ EEZ, passing via Lawak and Patag and turning southeast to Escoda Shoal. All areas are inside Philippine territorial waters.
Its penultimate sighting was in El Nido city in Palawan province because it turned towards Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, which was its last cease earlier than returning to Hainan Island.
‘Monster’ hounds PH most
WPS monitor Ray Powell mentioned he observed that the monster ship’s patrol focused the Philippines.
Learn: West PH Sea: China ‘monster’ ship got here a lot nearer to El Nido, Palawan – PCG
“It definitely adopted the bounds of the dash-line declare to the south and east, however not as a lot to the west,” mentioned Powell, director of SeaLight, a crew of volunteers at Stanford College’s Gordian Knot Middle for Nationwide Safety Innovation. The group displays China exercise in SCS.
“Vietnam was largely spared this explicit intrusive patrol,” Powell, additionally a retired colonel of the US Air Pressure, instructed INQUIRER.internet.
Powell additionally famous that the CCG’s largest ship “took particular care” to go by “delicate” areas like Ayungin and Panatag Shoal inside Philippine waters.
The resupply exercise of BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine naval outpost grounded in Ayungin Shoal and PCG actions in Scarborough Shoal have been disrupted by China and emerged as a flashpoint of stress between Manila and Beijing.
The most important confrontation between the 2 international locations came about final June 17, when Chinese language CCG personnel blocked Philippine boats carrying provides to BRP Sierra Madre, boarded the boats and, because the Philippine Navy mentioned, looted the Philippine provide vessels.
A conflict came about as PCG personnel defended their boats, main to 1 PCG officer shedding a thumb and injuring others.
Learn: Sailor whose thumb obtained lower off in Ayungin mission needs to return to obligation
“This patrol was extra targeted on the Philippines than different international locations like Malaysia,” Powell mentioned.
CCG ships on ‘sprint line’ monitor anew
One other massive CCG ship has been conducting patrols in WPS options beginning final June 30.
Learn: China ship on ‘resupply cruise’ handed close to 5 West PH Sea options – monitor
Powell mentioned that the 8,000-ton Sansha 2 Hao first handed by Pagasa Island within the morning of that day, accompanied by one other CCG vessel, San Sha Zhi Fa 301.
Powell mentioned the 2 CCG ships additionally traversed the waters close to Patag Island, Lawak Island, Escoda Shoal and Ayungin Shoal.
As of Monday (July 1), the 2 Chinese language ships are inside 60 nautical miles of Malaysia’s shoreline “to claim the southern extent of Beijing’s maritime claims,” in accordance with Powell.
“This mission has two functions — to ship provides to Beijing’s Spratly Island bases, and to mark the extent of its maritime claims,” Powell instructed INQUIRER.internet in an interview on July 1.
“It deliberately hits as many necessary areas throughout the [10]-dash-line declare as attainable,” he mentioned.
Beijing doubles down
Geopolitical analysts mentioned such actions by China indicated that Beijing is making an attempt to solidify its “expansionist claims” and that it’s now “making ready for any eventuality.”
“This deployment is to proceed making an announcement for its expansionist claims within the West Philippine Sea,” mentioned Don McClain Gill, lecturer on the De La Salle College’s Division of Worldwide Research.
Gill instructed INQUIRER.internet that Beijing’s strains “don’t matter”.
“What issues is that its targets within the West Philippine Sea are disruptive and in opposition to worldwide legislation,” he mentioned.
Safety skilled Chester Cabalza, additionally instructed INQUIRER.internet: “The voyage of China’s monster ship visibly seen on the monitor of its present imaginary strains within the South China Sea provides a semblance to its conventional artwork of warfare of gaining ascendancy to justify its state’s growth and safety of frontiers.”
Cabalza mentioned such actions point out that China is now on the defensive.
“Almost certainly China is encircling the dashes to emboss its preparation for any eventuality — even when China has resurged as a regional navy energy, it nonetheless practices Confucian perception within the absence of the glorification of warfare,” Cabalza mentioned.
Cabalza added: “However in trendy Chinese language artwork of warfare, the transect within the contested waters is to have the ability to be prepared to resist excessive winds, uneven waters, and even harmful storms within the South China Sea.”
