Large Chinese ship enters Scarborough Shoal—Coast Guard

MANILA, Philippines – A large Chinese fisheries law enforcement vessel has entered the Panatag Shoal (international name: Scarborough), according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

Lieutenant General Anthony Alcantara, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Northern Luzon Command, said the Coast Guard ship BRP Edsa reported the presence of the Chinese vessel Saturday morning.

At the same time one of the two Chinese maritime surveillance ships which have been in the Panatag Shoal since last week was believed to have left.

“At six o’clock this morning, our search and rescue [vessel] Coast Guard 002 is still in the area. The [Chinese maritime surveillance ship] 71 and the fisheries law enforcement vessel 310, the large one are there,” Alcantara said.

“The [Chinese maritime surveillance ship] 84 is no longer there, it’s no longer seen by our search and rescue vessel,” he added.

The standoff in the Panatag Shoal entered its 12th day as Chinese vessels refused to leave the shoal, which is 124 nautical miles from the nearest coast of Zambales and within the country’s 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Alcantara said the new Chinese ship was not a navy ship.