Chinese fleet in West Philippine Sea similar to purpose-built maritime militia vessels — analyst
MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese vessels seen in line formation near Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef off the coast of Palawan appear similar to purpose-built vessels of China's maritime militia, an analyst said.
Andrew Erickson, a professor at the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College, noted that the 220 ships photographed in the coral reef in the West Philippine Sea look and operate like the steel-hulled vessels that lead the Sansha City Maritime Militia.
On Saturday, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that Chinese fishing vessels, believed to be part of China's maritime militia, have been located on the reef on March 7.
Quack, quack, quack...
— Andrew Erickson ??? (@AndrewSErickson) March 22, 2021
Do those ~220 #BlueHulls look strangely familiar?
Double check #Sansha City #MaritimeMilitia section in latest #China #Recce #Poster from Office of #Naval #Intelligence:https://t.co/ka9rIKT9Jq#WhitsunReef #JulianFelipeReef#?áBa??u
Niu’eJiao #??? https://t.co/7M1FyfPNmW pic.twitter.com/INKtpBpQdV
"The NTF-WPS notes this circumstance as a concern due to the possible overfishing and destruction of the marine environment, as well as risks to safety of navigation," the task force said.
Sansha militia
China's self-declared Sansha City claim administrative jurisdiction over the Spratly Islands, overlapping with the Philippines' claims in the area.
Around the same time last year, Beijing established two new districts in the South China Sea under the jurisdiction of Sansha. The Department of Foreign Affairs then stressed that the Philippine government does not recognize Sansha City nor its constituent units.
Ships from Sansha City have been on rotational deployments to Chinese-claimed features in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, according to Erickson.
“Crewed by well-salaried full-time personnel recruited in part from former PLA ranks, they appear not to bother fishing – the better to focus on trolling for territory,” Erickson wrote on Foreign Policy.
Another standoff?
He added that these ships have weapons lockers and loaded with "light arms" based on official photos from the Chinese government.
"If not properly countered at Whitsun Reef, or elsewhere, PAFMM vessels could support further territorial seizure akin to China’s gains at Scarborough Shoal in 2012," Erickson said.
Malacañang, on the other hand, said the presence of Chinese maritime militia ships is unlikely to escalate into something similar to the Scarborough or Panatag Shoal standoff.
Less than a day after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. lodged a diplomatic protest over the Chinese fleet in the West Philippine Sea, the military confirmed that the ships are still present in the area.
Still there
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana confirmed that the Air Force spotted at least 183 vessels in the area following its patrol.
The military's Western Command, based in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, deployed a fixed-wing aircraft to check the area on Monday morning.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana called the presence of Chinese militia boats in the Julian Felipe Reef, which is well within the country's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, an incursion and urged the Chinese to immediately recall the vessels.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila insisted that there is no maritime militia involved, claiming that the ships seen near Julian Felipe Reef are fishing vessels.
"It has been a normal practice for Chinese fishing vessels to take shelter under such circumstances. There is no Chinese Maritime Militia as alleged. Any speculation in such helps nothing but causes unnecessary irritation," the Chinese Embassy said in a statement Monday night.
Statement by Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy
— ChineseEmbassyManila (@Chinaembmanila) March 22, 2021
in the Philippines on the Presence of Alleged Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels at Niu’e Jiao pic.twitter.com/43w6Yp1DJ4
The United States Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear powered supercarrier USS John C. Stennis continues underway in the South China Sea.
The US Pacific Command just reported that it has received "cargo" from support ship USNS Rainier in the disputed waters.
#GreatGreenFleet's USS @Stennis74 receives cargo from USNS #Rainier in the #SouthChinaSea - @US7thFleet pic.twitter.com/MnJWrow6Vv
— U.S. Pacific Command (@PacificCommand) June 10, 2016
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources conducts an aerial maritime inspection over Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc on Thursday, according to a report of PTV.
PTV says BFAR is checking if the southeast portion of Bajo de Mansinloc remains free from illegal and hazardous floating barriers.
Earlier this week, the Philippine Coast removed the chains surrounding the entrance of Bajo de Masinloc installed by the China Coast Guard. — PTV
The National Security Council condemns the installation of the floating barriers of the China Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc, PTV reports on Monday.
“It ruled categorically that such action by the PRC violated the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen in the shoal who have been fishing there for centuries," NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya says.
"Any State that prevents them from doing artisanal fishing there violates UNCLOS and international law, in general,” he adds.
PTV reports that BRP Antonio Luna of the Philippine Navy and HMCS Ottawa of the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a joint sail in the West Philippine Sea on Sept. 21.
“The joint sail is part of the Philippine Navy's regular engagements with its partners in the Philippines' maritime zones. Bravo Zulu to all the personnel of both ships and those who planned this activity," Ltc Enrico Gil Ileto, Public Affairs AFP chief says.
WATCH: BRP Antonio Luna of the Philippine Navy and HMCS Ottawa of the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a joint sail in the West Philippine Sea on Sept. 21. (????: AFP Wescom) | via Bea Bernardo (1/2) pic.twitter.com/DmJguzJSiF
— PTVph (@PTVph) September 22, 2023
Ahead of the second State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcis Jr, the descendants of the Bai sa Condor and Anta sa Tebouk, on behalf of the Iranun in the Philippines composed of 16 sultans, formally declares ownership of the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoals as patrimony from their ancestors.
The declaration of ownership is led by Sultan Tomas Reyes Cabili, Jr. as part of the advocacy of the Tomas Ll. Cabili Foundation (TLC Foundation).
"TLC Foundation is doing this for our country’s sake as a whole on our claim for what is ours. Not just for our Muslim brothers and the Moro Origins of Mindanao (IRANUN), BUT for all the Filipinos - and the next generations to come. All the Philippines’ descendants of the Iranunis unfurling the historical dimension of the Spratlys and the ScarboroughShoals to strengthen the Philippines' claim on them and complement the theoretical frameworks already presented in the United Nations," Cabili says.
Raymond Powell, project lead at the Gordion Knot Center for National Security Innovation, tweets that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels "maneuvered dangerously close" to two Philippine Coast Guard ships on a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea last week.
In a tweet, Powell identifies the ships as BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua. He says these were escorting a small-boat resupply mission to the Philippines' outpost aboard BRP Sierra Madre and were met by an armada of CCG and militia ships, as well as a possible navy vessel.
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