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MANILA, Philippines — Two Chinese research ships were spotted near Philippine Rise on Monday night, according to a US maritime expert, a week after two Chinese fishing boats were also monitored “in the east coast” of the country.
Ray Powell, in post on X on Tuesday, said Xiang Yang Hong 03 and Zhang Jian “entered the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone off its eastern seaboard last night (Monday).”
“Neither has yet entered a survey pattern so their purpose in being there is so far unclear,” he added.
The Philippine Navy has yet to issue a statement on that development.
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In March this year, two Chinese vessels were spotted near Philippine Rise, a resource-rich submerged landmass off the eastern coast of the Philippines.
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In 2016, Chinese survey ships were spotted at Philippine Rise for about three months.
The United Nations has declared the 24-million-hectare undersea feature, believed to be rich in mineral and natural gas deposits, as part of the Philippine continental shelf.
In his Executive Order No. 25, then President Rodrigo Duterte said Manila has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Philippine Rise in accordance with the 1987 Constitution, national legislation, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and applicable international laws.
Nato-type alliance unlikely
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Philippines has been “investing in creating new dockyards and shipyards that are operationally secure, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.”
At a security forum in Quezon City, Teodoro said the government wanted “stand alone and secure” forward operating bases amid regional tensions over Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.
But when asked about the possibility of an alliance among Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) member states that was similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), he said this was not possible for now.
“A Nato-type Asean, I don’t think it is possible at this time because of the dichotomies and divergence between country interests,” he said.
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The defense chief pointed out the Philippines’ defense alliance with the United States while “we continue to build alliances with like-minded countries.”
“Other Asean countries have built alliances with China. So, having an armed enforcement mechanism for Asean may be far between,” he said.
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