FILE PHOTO: An aerial photo taken by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the wide expanse of Escoda (Sabina) Shoal coveted by China within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. INQUIRER FILES
THE DAILY INQUIRER | Published November 26, 2024
MANILA, Philippines — Eight China warships and coast guard vessels were typically spotted at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Navy said Tuesday.
However, the period when this observation was marked was unclear as of this writing.
During a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said: “Every now and then, we see on average, two or three of the PLA Navy and four or five of the Coast Guard.”
He also said that the number of Chinese ships present around the sandbar is not constant and that the country still has access to Escoda Shoal.
Trinidad issued these statements in reaction to an incident where the China Coast Guard blocked a Filipino boat from conducting fishing activities near the reef.
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SOURCE: www.inquirer.net
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SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST | Published November 25, 2024
The Philippines’ defence chief has accused Beijing of sending military vessels disguised as fishing boats to block access to areas in the South China Sea, with observers noting that the alleged tactic would add a “new dimension” to Chinese grey-zone activities amid a long-running maritime row with Manila.
The Philippines’ defence chief has accused Beijing of sending military vessels disguised as fishing boats to block access to areas in the South China Sea, with observers noting that the alleged tactic would add a “new dimension” to Chinese grey-zone activities amid a long-running maritime row with Manila.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro made the comments during a visit on November 19 to Palawan with US counterpart Lloyd Austin, where both men condemned what they said was “dangerous and escalatory” behaviour by China in the disputed waters.
Beijing’s foreign ministry has yet to respond to the allegations.
“[Beijing has] been more aggressive in denying us access to our exclusive economic zone in the western Philippines. They have really placed a lot of these pseudo-military vessels disguised as coastguard vessels and maritime militia vessels in the areas west of the Philippine Sea,” Teodoro told a press briefing.
In September, the Armed Forces of the Philippines tallied a record-high 251 Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea – Manila’s term for waters in the South China Sea that it considers part of its exclusive economic zone – including People’s Liberation Army Navy warships, coastguard vessels, and maritime militia boats.
Observers say the alleged use of these military vessels disguised as fishing boats would add a new dimension to Beijing’s usual tactics in its grey-zone strategy as it continued to assert control over disputed maritime areas.
“At the same time, it can be part of their deception strategy to mask their presence and intent. This can also be a tactic to stretch the naval and coastguard resources,” Sherwin Ona, a visiting fellow at the Institute for National Defence and Security Research in Taiwan, told This Week in Asia.
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