A US-based research organization has disclosed that Chinese ships shadowed and “interfered” with a Philippine government vessel doing research in the West Philippine Sea.
AMTI said in a news report that in 3 recent incidents Beijing demonstrated its “determination to control maritime activity within the nine-dash line, and to create a high risk of collisions at sea to do so.” Two other incidents were previously reported by the media, involving a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and a Taiwanese vessel on April 6 while undertaking survey of undersea fault lines off Ilocos Sur. The other occurred on April 4 at the vicinity of Reed Bank of Recto Bank off Palawan, involving two Norwegian ships that were hired by the Philippine government to conduct oil exploration in the area.
A US-based research organization has disclosed that Chinese ships shadowed and “interfered” with a Philippine government vessel doing research in the West Philippine Sea.
In an article titled “Three Rounds of Coercion” published May 26, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said that China Coast Guard (CCG) and militia ships intercepted a research vessel of the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) at the Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal, on April 21.
AMTI reported that the BFAR vessel “drew the attention” of a CCG vessel, prompting the latter to pursue the Filipino vessel “at extremely close distances, coming as close as 100 meters in multiple distances.”
The CCG continued pursuing the BFAR vessel, with another CCG vessel and two Hainan-based militia vessels closing in from the north.
“Under pressure, the DA BFAR turned around 12.7 nautical miles from Second Thomas Shoal. It retreated 13 nautical miles east before heading north toward Philippine-occupied Nanshan Island, tailed by the [China Coast Guard],” AMTI said.
Source: ABS-CBN News
