TWO Chinese research vessels were spotted near Philippine Rise on Monday night, according to U.S. maritime expert Ray Powell, marking a week after two Chinese fishing boats were also detected off the country’s eastern coast.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Powell reported that the ships Xiang Yang Hong 03 and Zhang Jian had “entered the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone off its eastern seaboard on Monday night.”
He noted that neither vessel had yet initiated a survey pattern, leaving their purpose in the area unclear.
The Philippine Navy has yet to release a statement on this development.
This is not the first sighting of Chinese vessels near Philippine Rise, a resource-rich submerged plateau east of the Philippines. In March, two Chinese vessels were also spotted in the area.
Chinese survey ships were previously observed there for approximately three months in 2016.
Covering 24 million hectares, Philippine Rise is believed to be rich in minerals and natural gas deposits.
The United Nations has recognized it as part of the Philippine continental shelf. In 2017, former President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order No. 25, affirming the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Philippine Rise, grounded in the 1987 Constitution, national legislation, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and other international laws.
Nato-Type Alliance Unlikely
At a security forum in Quezon City on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. noted that the Philippines has been investing in new, secure dockyards and shipyards, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.
He emphasized the government’s goal of establishing “stand-alone and secure” forward-operating bases amid regional tensions due to China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
When asked about the potential for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-style alliance among Southeast Asian nations, Teodoro said this was unlikely. “A NATO-type ASEAN, I don’t think it is possible at this time because of the differing and sometimes conflicting interests among countries,” he explained.
Teodoro acknowledged the Philippines’ defense alliance with the United States and its efforts to build partnerships with other like-minded nations.
However, he pointed out that other ASEAN members maintain alliances with China, making an armed enforcement mechanism within ASEAN challenging at present.