Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 4) — Chinese vessels are still sailing in Philippine waters, with dozens of suspected maritime militia and coast guard ships spotted in the vicinity of Pag-asa Island, according to local authorities.
In a statement on Saturday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said its personnel spotted a People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel, a Chinese Coast Guard ship, and some 42 suspected Chinese maritime militia anchored near the area.
\”These Chinese vessels are estimated to have a distance of approximately 4.5 to 8 nautical miles from Pag-asa Island, clearly inside the land feature’s 12 nautical mile territorial sea,\” the PCG said.
Pag-asa, internationally known as Thitu Island, is considered by Manila as part of Palawan province — a claim Beijing contests.
The PCG stressed that the ships’ \”unauthorized\” presence in the area is \”clearly inconsistent with the right of innocent passage and a blatant violation of the Philippines’ territorial integrity.\”
It added that officials will continue to carry out patrols in the West Philippine Sea despite these incursions.
Code of conduct talks to resume soon
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea will resume next week.
In a message to reporters, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said there will be a meeting between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China in Jakarta on March 8 to 9.
\”The meeting will continue the negotiation and deliberation on the single negotiated text of the COC,\” Daza said.
\”The [joint working group] will be deliberating on the same text on the general provisions of the COC which ASEAN and China were negotiating on in Cambodia in 2022,\” she added.
