AFP: Chinese ship seen near Catanduanes possibly on survey mission

A Chinese-flagged research vessel, “Shen Kuo,” is seen in the vicinity northeast of Viga, Catanduanes in this photo taken from a NOMAD N-22 aircraft of the Philippine Air Force. (Photo courtesy of AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Noting that their presence in the area is “very unusual,” an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official on Monday said the Chinese vessel first spotted off Catanduanes may be conducting a marine survey in the eastern section of the country.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, AFP public affairs chief, said that as of 7:30 a.m., Chinese ship Shen Kuo was spotted 44.6 nautical miles northeast of Northern Samar’s Gamay town.

“We are seeing that the vessel is loitering,” Trinidad said in a chance interview in Camp Aguinaldo.

“There are possibilities of a survey because its movement is very unusual and the area is not considered an international highway for vessels,” he also noted.

Over the weekend, the AFP reported that the vessel was spotted off  Viga town in Catanduanes on Saturday.

Diversionary tactic or military mission?

A security expert also raised another possibility, saying that the ship’s presence there may either be a diversionary  tactic in view of the ongoing war games between Manila and Washington.

Chester Cabalza, president and founder of the Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, provided this insight, adding that the activity could also be viewed as “a military mission disguised in scientific research.”

“The Chinese research vessels sailing around Luzon Strait to the Philippine Rise at the time when joint defense drills with like-minded partners have begun are used as pawns for diversionary tactic in the ongoing Balikatan exercises that were mounted from Batanes to Ilocos coastlines and down the West Philippine Sea,” Cabalza told INQUIRER.net in a text message.

“It could also be possible that loitering in the eastern side of Luzon and within the EEZ of the country’s archipelagic sea lanes could be construed as a military mission disguised in scientific research to survey the maritime domain of the Philippines,” he added.

Vigilance

Cabalza then urged the Philippine navy and coast guard to monitor the vessel “to avoid continuous swarming of Chinese vessels in the first island chain.”

Trinidad said the AFP is now coordinating with maritime agencies as to the next move to address this incident.

Philippine Rise

For this year alone, this is the second time a Chinese research vessel was spotted in the country’s eastern section of the country where Philippine (Benham) Rise — a 24-million-hectare undersea feature part of the Philippine continental shelf and is inside the country’s exclusive economic zone — were spotted.

Two Chinese research vessels were spotted in Philippine Rise last month.

READ: China may be surveying Benham Rise to study Taiwan ‘entry’ — expert

Renato de Castro, a defense analyst and Dela Salle University professor, then said that the vessels’ presence there could have something to do with an underwater survey to prepare for possible occupation of Taiwan.

Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China regards as a renegade province subject to reunification, broke away from the mainland in 1949 following the takeover of Mao Zedong’s communist forces.