Nelson Morales

Philippines says alarmed by Chinese ships moving closer to shore

BRP Cabra Maintains vigilant monitoring of Chinese Coast Guard Monster Ship near Zambales  on January 5, 2025.
Courtesy: PCG

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<p>The Philippines said Tuesday it was alarmed by Chinese coast guard patrols which are growing closer to the country&#x27;s shore.</p><p>Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.</p><p>The Philippines said China&#x27;s deployment this month of a &quot;monster&quot; coast guard vessel demonstrated Beijing&#x27;s &quot;increasing aggression&quot; in the disputed waterway.</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/3VvL4WthskY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>&quot;It&#x27;s getting closer to the Philippine coastline... and that is alarming,&quot; National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya told journalists Tuesday.</p><p>Chinese ships have been deployed closer to the Philippine coast this year, Malaya said, with the latest movements an &quot;intimidation tactic&quot; intended to discourage Filipino fishing.</p><p>&quot;We do not and will not dignify these scare tactics by backing down. We do not waver, or cower in the face of intimidation,&quot; said Malaya,</p><p>The 165-metre (540-foot) &quot;monster ship&quot; was last located 143 kilometres (89 miles) west of Capones Island in Zambales province.</p><p>Jay Tarriela, a Philippine Coast Guard spokesman, said &quot;it doesn&#x27;t really carry out very aggressive action, but its mere presence is already concerning&quot;.</p><p>The Philippine Coast Guard has deployed 84-metre and 97-metre vessels to pressure the Chinese ship &quot;to move further away from the coast of Zambales,&quot; Tarriela said.</p><p>© Agence France-Presse</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/LR8W5PHB01M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Philippines said Tuesday it was alarmed by Chinese coast guard patrols which are growing closer to the country's shore.</p>

The Philippines said Tuesday it was alarmed by Chinese coast guard patrols which are growing closer to the country's shore.