Chinese research ship operating near Palawan, moves towards Indian Ocean

The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed Wednesday that a Chinese research ship, the Song Hang, was operating within the country's archipelagic waters near Palawan.

By Thursday morning, the vessel had moved approximately 35.5 nautical miles off Mapun Island in Tawi-Tawi and responded to radio challenges from the PCG stating it was heading to the Indian Ocean for fishing activities.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea, noted that despite its designation as a research vessel, Song Hang has shown no signs of conducting marine scientific research (MSR) during its passage through Philippine waters.

Tarriela further stated that based on monitoring by the PCG, there was no evidence of MSR activities or equipment deployment by the ship, indicating it did not engage in such activities while within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

The Coast Guard has been monitoring the ship's movements and confirming its right of innocent passage as continuous and expeditious without any unauthorized marine scientific research or surveys detected. The PCG remains vigilant in safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain.