Philippine Navy escorts Chinese research vessel near Palawan

On Monday, the Philippine Navy confirmed that a Chinese research vessel, Lan Hai 101, was detected navigating near Palawan's eastern waters on Sunday.

The Littoral Monitoring Station (LMS) Melville issued an immediate challenge upon detecting the vessel’s presence in Philippine waters, and the crew stated that adverse weather conditions forced them to alter their route through the eastern waters of Palawan.

To ensure navigational safety and sovereignty, the Western Command deployed the Philippine Navy vessel BRP Andres Bonifacio alongside the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Melchora Aquino to escort the CRV Lan Hai 101 as it continued its transit while adhering to the rights of innocent passage through the Philippine archipelagic sea lanes.

As of Tuesday morning, the CRV Lan Hai 101 was near Lubang Island after passing east of Palawan due to unfavorable weather conditions and was expected to reach Northern Luzon before midnight.

This incident is part of a pattern with several Chinese vessels spotted in Philippine waters since last month, underscoring the commitment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to monitor maritime activities and maintain the safety and security of the archipelago.