Chinese survey vessel spent three weeks inside Panatag Shoal territorial waters, Tarriela says

A Chinese survey vessel spent about three weeks inside the territorial sea around Panatag Shoal while the Philippines was dealing with typhoons and the southwest monsoon, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela said.

Tarriela said the 76-meter Haiyang Dizhi Shihao had operated inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone for 25 days since August 10. About three weeks of that activity took place within the 22-kilometer territorial sea around Panatag, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

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The DFA confirms no permit was ever issued for this Marine Scientific Research. It is illegal.

He said the vessel carried out marine scientific research without a permit from the Philippine government. The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that no permit had been issued, Tarriela said, calling the activity illegal. He also alleged that China sent the vessel into the area when Philippine ships were least able to intercept it because of the weather.

According to Tarriela, the vessel is operated by the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey under China’s Ministry of Natural Resources. He said it could drill into the seabed and was not an ordinary research ship, noting that it drilled a 302.07-meter core below the seafloor in 2023.

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China moved its survey vessel in at precisely the moment our vessels were least able to intercept it.

Tarriela linked the vessel to a 2021 survey operation in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone in the North Natuna Sea. He said it surveyed the area for seven weeks under China Coast Guard escort, stopped to resupply, returned and withdrew days before an Asean summit. He provided no further details about that operation.

He also said the ship intermittently switched off its automatic identification system, which normally allows authorities and other vessels to track it. Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection program continued to monitor the vessel by satellite, Tarriela said, whether or not it transmitted an AIS signal. He did not disclose its exact coordinates or say whether Philippine authorities directly challenged the ship.

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Thanks to Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection program, we continue to track this illegal survey vessel whether she is transmitting or not.