Chinese Navy ships seen as PH, US, Japan drills reach north Batanes waters

Chinese Navy warships were spotted multiple times this week near patrolling naval assets of the Philippines and the United States in the West Philippine Sea during the 15th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) with Japan.

Vessels of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy of China were consistently spotted near Philippine and American Navy ships throughout the four-day MMCA, which was conducted from Monday, February 23, to Thursday, February 26. 

GMA Integrated News was the only local media organization aboard the Philippine Navy's BRP Antonio Luna to witness the conduct of the 15th MMCA—the first-ever edition of the three countries' joint exercises to reach the waters of northern Batanes.

Aircraft from the allied nations took part in a friendly flight near the Bashi Channel—a waterway separating the Philippines from Taiwan. 

The BRP Antonio Luna, Philippine Coast Guard's BRP Gabriela Silang, and the US Navy's USS Dewey, meanwhile, sailed towards the northern tip of Batanes for joint maritime drills. 

Warships

On Monday, Februrary 23, the Philippine Navy monitored the presence of China's Jiangkai II-class missile frigate Liuzhou 573. 

Meanwhile, the guided-missile destroyer Hefei 174 of the PLA Navy was seen a few nautical miles away from the Philippine and US vessels traversing northern Batanes waters, and even near Bajo de Masinloc, from the second up to the last day of the MMCA. 

"Hindi naman nila tayo binigyan ng radio challenge. Gayunpaman, 'yung presence nila is illegal kasi nasa loob sila ng [exclusive economic zone] ng Philippines at sumunod sila hanggang Batanes," said BRP Antonio Luna commanding officer Capt. Jennifer Monforte. 

(They didn't issue a radio challenge to us. Nevertheless, their presence is illegal because they're inside the EEZ of the Philippines and they followed us to Batanes.) 

'Not normal'

He noted that the presence of any PLA Navy ship in the Batanes area is "not normal." 

"Madalas dito lang sila sa Bajo de Masinloc area… Kapag ganiyan na nag-e-exercise at sumunod sila, para sa akin, hindi na 'yan normal."

(They're usually just in the Bajo de Masinloc area… When we hold our exercises and they follow us, for me, that's not normal.)

Monforte also clarified that the MMCA reaching near the Bashi Channel—the waterway separating the Philippines from Taiwan—should not be seen as a provocation of other countries. 

"Scheduled exercise ito at nasa loob naman tayo ng EEZ ng Pilipinas. Hindi naman maritime domain ng ibang bansa so hindi ito provocation," he said.

(This is a scheduled exercise and we're within the EEZ of the Philippines. This is not the maritime domain of any other country so this is not a provocation.) 

China claims self-governing Taiwan as part of its territory. 

According to a Reuters report, China's military said Friday it conducted a routine patrol in the South China Sea from February 23 to 26, and accused the Philippines of "disrupting" peace and stability by organizing joint patrols with countries outside the region. 

The Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command will "resolutely safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and firmly uphold regional peace and stability," spokesperson Zhai Shichen said in a statement.

China also has expansive claims in the South China Sea, including waters within the Philippines’ EEZ. 

The Philippines won a landmark case against China's massive claim before an arbitration tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands in 2016.

China, however, has repeatedly refused to recognize the ruling. — VDV, GMA Integrated News