2 Chinese vessels spotted off Palawan near Balikatan site

MANILA, Philippines — Two Chinese naval vessels were spotted off Palawan near an area where Philippine, US and French warships were holding joint sail – on its last day yesterday – as part of the Balikatan exercises.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), for its part, said it was monitoring the activities of Chinese-flagged research vessel Shen Kuo reportedly sighted traversing Philippine waters.

Western Command (Wescom) spokesman Capt. Ariel Joseph Coloma said Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels with bow numbers 793 and 167 were spotted four to five nautical miles from the area where the Philippine, US and French ships were engaged in Multilateral Maritime Exercise (MME) some 33 nautical miles northwest of Quezon, Palawan.

Coloma said the information about the two Chinese vessels was received around 9 a.m.

The first MME among the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the US Indo-Pacific Command and the French Navy concluded yesterday in Palawan. It began on April 25.

The AFP said the MME marked a “historic milestone in regional cooperation and security.”

The ships involved in the MME were the Philippine Navy’s BRP Ramon Alcaraz, BRP Davao del Sur, US Navy landing ship dock Harpers Ferry and the French Navy frigate Vendemiaire.

The five-day exercise showcased the participants’ coordination in a simulated formation sailing scenario and documenting operations through proper photographic techniques for military purposes.

The participants also performed Surface Gun Exercise, which tested the participating navies’ live-fire capabilities and communication skills under challenging environment.

PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said a PCG vessel was tracking the movement of the Chinese research vessel, as it was moving further south of the country’s waters.

Balilo earlier said the PCG’s 97-meter BRP Melchora Aquino – one of two ships taking part in the Northern Luzon leg of the Balikatan – would also be monitoring the Chinese research ship.

But with the Chinese ship reportedly moving south approaching Northern Samar, the Coast Guard official said they would have to assign another vessel to keep an eye on the Shen Kuo.

“We will check if there is