PCG spots China PLA assets during Ayungin resupply

MANILA, Philippines — The latest resupply mission for troops on the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal saw “for the first time” the participation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the attempt by the Chinese to block the operation, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said yesterday.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tarriela said a PLA-Navy ship with bow number 630 approached BRP Sindangan within a distance of only 0.5 nautical miles in a maneuver apparently meant to keep the Philippine vessel from getting close to the Sierra Madre.

Philippine resupply vessels were able to evade the Chinese eventually to unload their cargo on the Sierra Madre.

In his post, the PCG spokesman also said “PLA aircraft Y8Q conducted surveillance in Sabina (Escoda) Shoal and left when the resupply contingent arrived near Ayungin Shoal.”

Tarriela also reported CCG and the Chinese maritime militia vessels “carried out eight dangerous maneuvers.”

He also said CCG ship 21556 “came as close as one meter to the (PCG) vessel BRP Sindangan.” According to photos and videos shared by Tarriela on X, the CCG vessel got dangerously close to the PCG vessel where journalists were on board taking videos.

In a PTV report, special envoy to China Teodoro Locsin Jr. was on board the BRP Cabra taking video of the incident. It was the first time a Filipino diplomat joined the resupply mission.

In a television interview, Tarriela said the CCG ships’ coming into close contact with PCG vessels was “disturbing” as it could have caused a collision that the Chinese could “take advantage of” by blaming it on the Filipinos.

“If our Coast Guard skippers were not good at piloting, a collision could have taken place and the Chinese might come up with a narrative that it’s our coast guard which rammed their vessel. That’s what we’re trying to avoid,” the PCG spokesman said in Filipino.

He also said on X that five Chinese maritime militia ships also “actively assisted the CCG in blocking our PCG vessels.”

“A total of four CCG vessels we dispatched to obstruct the resupply mission and they were actively assisted by five Chinese maritime militia