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PLAN 793 came as close as 3 nautical miles from BRP Davao del Sur, just beyond the standard safe sailing distance of 2 nautical miles.

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West Philippine Sea

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><p>WEST PHILIPPINE SEA — A Chinese naval ship shadowed a flotilla of Philippine, American and French vessels early Saturday morning as they sailed across the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone as part of this year’s Balikatan exercises.<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/25/ph-us-french-naval-vessels-set-sail-for-maritime-exercise-1511"></a></p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/25/ph-us-french-naval-vessels-set-sail-for-maritime-exercise-1511" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PH, US, French naval vessels set sail for maritime exercise</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/23/ph-navy-reports-surge-of-chinese-vessels-in-wps-2321" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PH Navy reports surge of Chinese vessels in WPS amid Balikatan</a></div><p><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessel number 793</span> was spotted <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">around 6 a.m.</span> tailing the naval convoy some 50 nautical miles from mainland Palawan.</p><p>“Since na-monitor natin may mga movement sila and we can consider na nagco-conduct sila ng shadowing operations… Presently, wala pang radio challenges na naganap,” said Commander Marco Sandalo, commanding officer of BRP Davao del Sur.</p><p>(They have made some movements since we started monitoring them and we can consider them to be shadowing us.)</p><p>“We will be providing radio challenges kapag nakita natin na they will impede or obstruct and especially affect yung safety of navigation ng ating exercise,” he told reporters aboard the Navy vessel.</p><p>(We will issue radio challenges if we see that they will impede or obstruct and affect the safety of navigation during our exercise.)</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GKqTtAW8Aoo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>After about three hours, PLAN 793 was sailing inside the Philippines&#x27; EEZ and within view of the Davao del Sur,<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/27/not-just-military-robin-padilla-says-mandatory-rotc-to-hone-other-skills-too-1141"> the Philippine Navy&#x27;s largest ship</a> in the Balikatan exercises.</p><p>Foreign ships may enter another country&#x27;s EEZ but cannot explore for or extract resources from the area.</p><p>The Philippine Air Force deployed an airplane to fly over the Balikatan convoy and the Chinese ship around 9:05 a.m.</p><p>Sandalo said the flyby was part of regular reconnaissance to improve the country&#x27;s maritime domain awareness.</p><p>“Presently, ino-observe natin yung presence nila (We are observing their presence) and reports are being submitted to our headquarters,” he said.</p><p>By noon, the Chinese vessel was within the 100-nautical mile radius of the BRP Davao del Sur.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/23/old-china-made-ship-to-be-sunk-in-balikatan-drills-ph-navy-says-1754" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RELATED: Old China-made ship to be sunk in Balikatan drills, PH Navy says</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;SAFE AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT OBSTRUCTING&#x27; </strong></div><p>When asked when the Philippine Navy would question China’s presence in waters where Balikatan exercises are to be conducted, Sandalo said that that will be done if the Chinese ship crosses the Davao del Sur&#x27;s bow or if is closer than is safe.</p><p>“It’s safe as long as there is no impeding and there is no obstruction,” he said.</p><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">PLAN 793 came as close as 3 nautical miles from BRP Davao del Sur, just beyond the standard safe sailing distance of 2 nautical miles.</span></div><p>Despite the presence of the Chinese ship, the Philippine, US and French ships continued practicing their naval formations and cross-deck landing exercises.</p><p>French frigate FS Vendemiaire temporarily withdrew from the convoy for replenishment, but is expected to rejoin the group after.</p><p>The ships are expected to conduct drills on maritime search and rescue, gunnery and amphibious raids until next week.</p>

<p>PLAN 793 came as close as 3 nautical miles from BRP Davao del Sur, just beyond the standard safe sailing distance of 2 nautical miles.</p>

Chinese navy ship shadows Balikatan convoy in West Philippine Sea

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Chinese navy ship shadows Balikatan convoy in West Philippine Sea

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 27, 2024 02:35 PM PHT

|

Updated April 27, 2024 08:24 PM PHT

Read More:

Balikatan 2024

Balikatan exercises

West Philippine Sea

China

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