China Coast Guard ship waits outside Manila Bay; research vessel at Bajo de Masinloc

Chinese vessels were spotted off Luzon and appeared poised to intercept Philippine ships heading to Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal on Friday morning, according to a maritime expert.

"China seems determined to intercept and escort any Philippine ship moving in Scarborough Shoal's general direction," former United States Air Force official and ex-Defense Attaché Ray Powell said on X (formerly Twitter).

According to him, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5303 was escorting Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship BRP Datu Matanam Taradapit on its way back to the Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan.

"The Philippines' BFAR ship BRP Datu Matanam Taradapit is on its way back to Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan after checking in on Reed Bank, Iroquois Reef, and the PH bases at Lawak and Patag Islands," Powell said.

"It has picked up a Chinese 'escort' (China Coast Guard 5303) as it passed Scarborough to make sure it goes home and doesn't decide to visit again," he added.

Powell also reported that another Chinese vessel CCG 3306 was spotted outside Manila Bay allegedly waiting for the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) ship BRP Cape San Agustin to come out.

"A second Chinese escort has been assigned to the PCG's BRP Cape San Agustin. CCG 3306 waits just outside Manila Bay for it to emerge," the maritime expert said.

Unusual

Powell also noted the "surprise and unusual" deployment of Chinese research ship Xiang Yang Hong 10 in Bajo de Masinloc.

"It left Fiery Cross Reef on 12 August (the day after the collision) and just arrived one kilometer south of Scarborough this morning," Powell said.

"Its purpose there is unknown, but its capabilities include deep-sea surveying, resource exploration and deploying autonomous underwater vehicles," he added.

4?A second ????????escort has been assigned to the ????????#Philippines Coast Guard's BRP Cape San Augustin. China Coast Guard 3306 waits just outside Manila Bay for it to emerge. #China seems determined to intercept & escort any Philippine ship moving in #ScarboroughShoal's general… pic.twitter.com/ijKe41XdLR

— Ray Powell (@GordianKnotRay) August 15, 2025

Powell said the number of Chinese vessels in Bajo de Masinloc is fewer now, following a temporary increase on August 5 with at least eight CCG ships and 14 Chinese maritime militia vessels.

At present, three CCG ships and eight Chinese maritime militia vessels are in the area, he said. Most of them are returning to China but two of the militia vessels appear headed to Spratly Islands.

"This suggests Beijing had intelligence that the Philippines was planning Monday's 'Kadiwa' operation and augmented its force in anticipation," he said.

GMA News Online has sought comment from the PCG about the reported presence of Chinese ships, but it has yet to provide a statement as of posting time.

August 11 incident

Last Monday, the PCG and BFAR headed to Bajo de Masinloc to distribute aid to local fishermen as part of the Kadiwa program.

However, several Chinese vessels harassed Philippine vessels by firing a water cannon, performing dangerous maneuvers, and shadowing. 

According to the PCG, People's Liberation Army Navy ship 164 and CCG vessel 3104 collided while they were chasing PCG's BRP Suluan.

The CCG vessel sustained substantial damage, rendering it unseaworthy, while the flagpole of the PCG vessel was also damaged.

Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

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.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country's claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

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 has refused to recognize the decision. — VDV, GMA Integrated News