Navy: 2 Chinese research vessels out of Philippine’s EEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Two Chinese research vessels spotted “loitering” and doing research in the Philippine Rise, in the Philippines’ eastern seaboard, have left the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Philippine Navy said yesterday.

In an interview on dzBB, Philippine Navy spokesperson Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said the Chinese vessels have been monitored as being out of the EEZ, and that bad weather has prevented any air surveillance flight over the area by naval forces in Northern Luzon.

“We would have sent out an air surveillance flight by naval forces from Northern Luzon, it just so happened the weather was bad as of the other day, but they will make another attempt. Although, as of yesterday at 3 p.m., we monitored that they (Chinese vessels) were already out of the EEZ,” Trinidad said.

He said the surveillance mission will determine if the Chinese vessels would be spotted around Benham Rise.

The monitoring and surveillance in the area, according to Trinidad, is almost 24/7.

“Our presence has not yet reached that far, because it is farther and more remote in the ocean compared to our West Philippine Sea detachment,” Trinidad said.

In a post on X, American maritime expert Ray Powell said the two Chinese research vessels were in the northeast corner of Benham Rise within the Philippine EEZ.

Based on satellite images, Chinese research vessels Haiyang Dizhi Liuhao and Haiyang Dizhi Shihao left the port at Longxue Island in Guangzhou on Feb. 26, and moved east southeast through the Luzon Strait.

China accused the Philippines of teaming up with the US and other countries outside of the region to stir trouble in the South China Sea, severely violating a non-binding code of conduct in the South China Sea, which Beijing had already broken in carrying out reclamation work.

A statement of China’s Ministry of National Defense posted on the Chinese embassy in Manila’s Facebook account was made following a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) report that its patrolling vessels had been closely approached by China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels.

The Chinese Defense Ministry warned that “China will respond resolutely to any action in the South China Sea that infringes on