GMA News
Third China Coast Guard ship to join 'vessel swarm' at Bajo de Masinloc — analyst
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported the presence of 25 Chinese militia vessels and three China Coast Guard (CCG) ships at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) as of Saturday morning.
Security analyst Ray Powell noted that a third CCG ship, CCG 5303, was arriving from the west to join the "vessel swarm."
The increased Chinese presence was observed while 12 Filipino ships were fishing in the area.
Two of the Chinese militia vessels were specifically noted to be inside the shoal.
Commodore Jay Tarriela of the PCG confirmed that no floating barrier was currently in place at the shoal.
China's presence at Bajo de Masinloc has risen more than four-fold compared to February, when six Chinese vessels were monitored.
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