Tarriela Says Chinese Research Vessel Spent 25 Days in Panatag Shoal

A Chinese survey vessel spent 25 days operating inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, including the waters around Panatag, or Scarborough, Shoal, according to Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela.

In a post on X, Tarriela said the Haiyang Dizhi Shihao had conducted what he described as marine scientific research. He added that the Department of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that no permit had been issued for the activity. “It is illegal,” he said.

Tarriela said the 76-meter vessel entered the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone on Aug. 10 and operated within the 22-kilometer territorial sea around Panatag Shoal. He said the timing was deliberate because the Philippines was being hit by typhoons and the southwest monsoon, leaving its vessels less able to intercept the ship.

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It is illegal

“China moved its survey vessel in at precisely the moment our vessels were least able to intercept it,” Tarriela said. He identified the vessel’s operator as the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, which falls under China’s Ministry of Natural Resources. He also said the ship could drill into the seabed and was not an ordinary research vessel. In 2023, he said, it drilled a 302.07-meter core below the seafloor. The Chinese Embassy had not responded to the claims at the time of publication.

Separately, the Philippine and Singaporean navies began their eighth bilateral intelligence conference. Philippine Navy chief of staff Rear Adm. Edwin Nera received Singapore Navy Lt. Col. Dominic Lew at Navy headquarters. The three-day meeting allows personnel from both navies to exchange intelligence assessments, discuss shared operational concerns and compare maritime-security practices.

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