The Philippine Coast Guard stated on Saturday it had documented 38 Chinese vessels throughout the neighborhood of the Ayungin Shoal throughout its newest resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.
“The total number of Chinese vessels that we detected during the supply operation was 16 maritime militia vessels that were physically monitored, 12 Chinese militia vessels, five China Coast Guard vessels, and five People’s Liberation Army [vessels],” Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela stated in a media briefing.
“In total, we can say that there are a total of 38 Chinese vessels that are present within the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal during this particular resupply operation,” he added.
Tarriela stated that not all 38 Chinese vessels have been concerned within the blocking operations towards the PCG vessels.
“Based on the presentation that we gave, there were only six CMMVs (Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels) that actively participated in the blocking operations, and there were five CCG vessels,” he stated.
“All in all, there were 11 that actively participated in carrying out dangerous maneuvers to the PCG vessels and also to the resupply boats,” Tarriela added.
He stated this was the very best variety of Chinese vessels seen thus far throughout the Ayungin Shoal, which is contained in the Philippines’ 200-kilometer unique financial zone primarily based on the 2016 Arbitral Award and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“If you are asking as to the number of Chinese vessels present in the vicinity of the Ayungin Shoal, I think it’s fair to say that this is the highest number because there were 38 documented,” he stated.
The PCG efficiently entered Ayungin Shoal on Friday after evading a number of China Coast Guard vessels and Chinese militia vessels.
This allowed them to go close to the BRP Sierra Madre and see the most recent state of the grounded energetic naval publish.
The PCG escorted two boats on a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II ship grounded on the shoal since 1999 that stands as a logo of the Philippines’ declare to the West Philippine Sea.
“You have the commitment of the Coast Guard that we’re still going to carry out this mission despite the limited number of vessels and despite the increasing number of Chinese vessels that they are going to deploy,” Tarriela stated. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
