3 China warships entered PH territorial waters —WestMinCom

The Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) said three vessels of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China were spotted in the Philippine territorial waters.

In a statement on Monday evening, the WestMinCom said the three Chinese warships, first monitored in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Sunday, entered the Philippine territorial waters navigating through Mindoro Strait towards Sulu Sea. 

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines has identified the three PLA vessels as one Renhai Class Cruiser Guided Missile, one Jiankai Class Frigate II, and one Type 903 Fuchi Class Replenishment Oiler that are traversing the internal waters of the country,” WestMinCom chief Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete said.

He added that these Chinese warships were expected to be transiting through the international passages within the maritime domain of the WestMinCom, the Sibutu Passage, and the Basilan Strait.

No coordination

Nafarrete said that the transit of vessels of other countries is allowed. However, he pointed out that China had no diplomatic coordination with the Philippines and its vessels maintained “unusually” slow speed of four to five knots.

“This is not consistent with the principles of innocent passage which requires continuous and expeditious passage and that the vessel should not linger in archipelagic waters longer than necessary,” said Nafarrete.

The WestMincon has since deployed two Philippine Air Force aircraft consisting of one C-208 and one Nomad N22 aircraft to monitor the passage of the PLAN vessels within the country’s territorial waters, according to Nafarrete. 

WestMinCom’s Joint Task Force Poseidon also dispatched Philippine Navy ships to challenge and shadow the Chinese warships.

PLAN responded and invoked freedom of navigation and innocent passage, according to Nafarrete.

Challenge

In a separate statement, the Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) said the BRP Jose Rizal crew also monitored and challenged the three Chinese warships near Bajo de Masinloc on Monday.

“While conducting patrols at approximately 57 nautical miles southeast of Bajo de Masinloc, BRP JOSE RIZAL (FF150) warned off and issued consecutive radio challenges to three (3) China’s PLA-N ships spotted in the area. One of the said PLA-N is a guided missile Jiangkai II Class Frigate, “Dali” (FFG-553),” it said.

“The presence of the PLAN in the area reflects the People’s Republic of China's complete disregard for international law and undermines the peace and stability in the region,” it added.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China refused to recognize the decision.