Chinese vessels enter PH EEZ without permission

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Tuesday that two Chinese research vessels were detected within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), raising suspicions about their intent.

Commodore Jay Tristan Tarriela identified the vessels as Xiang Yang Hong 302 and Tan Suo Er Hao, both of which departed from Hainan, China. Xiang Yang Hong was located approximately 180 nautical miles off Palawan's coast near Rizal, while Tan Suo Er Hao was spotted around 130.5 nautical miles from Ilocos Norte’s Burgos.

Both vessels are equipped for deep-sea research and have been operating without prior authorization from the Philippines, prompting the PCG to dispatch an aircraft to monitor their movements closely.

The Xiang Yang Hong vessel is under the administration of the State Oceanic Administration and intended for use by the PLA Navy for oceanography. The Tan Suo Er Hao vessel is administered by the China Ocean Mineral Research and Development Association.

International experts noted that these activities violate international law, specifically part 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which requires prior authorization from coastal states before conducting marine scientific research within their EEZs.