Chinese military and paramilitary ships have been prowling the West Philippine Sea (WPS), and even challenging Philippine Coast Guard and military vessels, as if China owns the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in that area.
This was gleaned from the presentation of retired United States Air Force Col. Raymond Powell during a forum on Thursday organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute and the US Embassy in Manila.
Powell, of the Project Myoushu of Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation in California, cited an incident on December 8 last year, wherein a Philippine Navy ship, BRP Andres Bonifacio, appeared to have been blocked by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel as it was sailing for Scarborough Shoal.
“It was never reported or discussed,” Powell said of the incident.
According to him, the Andres Bonifacio, one of the Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessels of the Philippine Navy, was cruising within the vicinity of Scarborough when the Chinese Coast Guard vessel appeared and cut the path of the Navy ship.
The incident, which showed the constant and regular presence of Chinese ships within Philippine maritime waters, however, was apparently ignored by the patrol vessel.
Powell brought to the public the “quality and quantity” of information that was being told to Filipinos.
The retired American air force officer also cited the challenging presence of Chinese vessels just days before the resupply that was carried out by the Philippine Navy for its troops aboard the partly-sunken BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal during the latter part of June last year, wherein it warned the troops not to bring construction materials.
Based on Powel’s presentation, on June 18, 2022, Chinese maritime militia vessels and Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5304 appeared at the shoal.
On the following day, another Chinese Coast Guard vessel with markings 4302, also appeared at the shoal as the Philippines’ BRP Habagat was sailing or proceeding to Ayungin.
On June 20, 2022, a Chinese maritime militia vessel reinforced at the shoal after two Philippine Coast Guard vessels, BRP Capones and BRP Suluan, were cruising toward Ayungin.
The maritime ship was one of the four Chinese maritime militia vessels that came from Subi Reef.
Powell said the Chinese-occupied Mischief Reef, which is just 20 nautical miles or 37 kilometers from Ayungin Shoal, houses Chinese maritime militia vessels, and it has been serving as Beijing’s gatekeeper in Ayungin.