The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has reported that the unauthorized presence of the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) vessel 5901 in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has now lasted for 13 days. The PCG’s West Philippine Sea spokesperson, Commodore Jay Tarriela, shared on social media that the BRP Gabriela Silang is closely monitoring the movements of the CCG vessel, which is known as the ‘monster ship’ due to its massive size of 165 meters.
The PCG has been actively challenging the CCG vessel over the radio, citing its failure to comply with the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award. Despite these challenges, the crew of the PCG vessel has managed to keep the Chinese ship at a distance of at least 70 nautical miles from Zambales province’s coast.
Tracking data indicates that the movements of CCG 5901 do not align with the principles of freedom of navigation as defined by UNCLOS. Tarriela emphasized that freedom of navigation should involve continuous and swift passage and does not allow for unauthorized patrols within another country’s EEZ.
Although the CCG vessel communicated intentions to reduce tensions, it has continued its unauthorized activities within the Philippine EEZ. Tarriela stressed that genuine efforts to de-escalate and build trust between the nations require China to respect the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its EEZ.
The 2016 Arbitral Award, which is legally binding on both China and the Philippines, has invalidated the CCG’s claims of legality. According to a Newsweek report, the 12,000-ton CCG-5901 is significantly larger than the United States Coast Guard’s Legend-class cutters. The vessel left Sanya in China’s Hainan province on December 30, 2024, and entered the Philippine EEZ, later joining other CCG and maritime militia vessels at Scarborough Shoal, referred to as Huangyan Island by Beijing.