China sends 7 more ships to Scarborough Shoal

CHINA has deployed seven additional vessels to Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, a rich fishing ground located some 124 nautical miles from mainland Zambales, an American maritime expert said yesterday.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ray Powell, a retired US Air Force colonel, said the additional vessels were six maritime militia ships and one form the China Coast Guard.

He said the seven vessels came from the Chinese-occupied Mischief Reef, also known as Panatag Reef which is near the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal which some is 108 nautical miles from Palawan.

“Six new Chinese Qiong Sansha Yu maritime militia and one China Coast Guard ship are now en route from Mischief Reef to Scarborough Shoal to replace the ships that left in advance of tropical storm `Yagi’ (Enteng) last week,” said Powell.

On September 3, Powell reported that six Chinese Qiong Sansha Yu maritime militia ships left the shoal ahead of “Enteng” which made landfall in Casiguran, Aurora on September 2.

“At least one large China Coast Guard ship (the 111-meter CCG 3305) remains on station at Scarborough, perhaps intending to ride out the storm there,” Powell said in his September 3 post.

China gained control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels. Since then, the Chinese have prevented Filipinos from fishing inside the shoal’s lagoon.

The shoal has been the site of recent incidents of Chinese harassment, one of them involving two Chinese multi-role fighters (MRFs).

The MRFs conducted dangerous maneuvers and launched flares on the path of a Philippine Air Force aircraft conducting routine patrol in the area on August 8, endangering the safety of the Filipino pilots and crew.