Coast Guard's BRP Cabra stops China ship approaching Zambales

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine vessel blocked three China Coast Guard ships from moving closer to Zambales, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Sunday, November 30, keeping them about 85 to 100 nautical miles from the boundary of the country's exclusive economic zone.

The much smaller BRP Cabra positioned itself against CCG vessel 21562 while tracking two other Chinese vessels by radar in waters off Zambales, PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela said in a statement.

CCG vessel 21562 was one of two CCG vessels that fired water cannons at a Philippine fisheries vessel in September near Scarborough Shoal, injuring a crew member.

The 44-meter BRP Cabra "successfully maintained a protective buffer of 85 to 100 nautical miles between the Chinese vessels and the outer boundary of the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)," Tarriela said. 

The PCG denounced the presence of the CCG vessels as illegal, citing violations of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling that struck down China's sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea. 

In recent months, the PCG has had to deal with a surge in Chinese vessels swarming the West Philippine Sea, all of which typically dismiss the Philippine side's radio challenges and attempts to drive it out of the country's EEZ. 

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea through its nine-dash line, rejecting the 2016 international ruling that found no legal basis for its claims.

According to the latest monitoring of the Philippine Navy, as of November 24, at least 30 Chinese military and coast guard vessels were spotted near four features in the West Philippine Sea, nearly half or 12 ships spotted at Scarborough Shoal alone. 

In August, a Chinese destroyer rammed a CCG vessel while both chased a Philippine patrol boat near Scarborough Shoal, damaging the coast guard ship's bow.