South China Sea Dispute Heightens After 'Intrusion' Of China Ship In Philippine Waters

The dispute in the South China Sea continues to heighten following the “intrusion” of a Chinese ship in Philippine waters.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday confirmed that a Chinese research vessel, Jia Geng, entered Philippine waters twice over the past year without authorization.

Locsin said the Philippine government only approved a “request for shelter” from the Chinese embassy. He insisted that the department did not give the vessel permission to remain in Philippine waters.

“DFA never gave permission to Jia Geng,” Locsin wrote on Twitter. “For humanitarian reasons, DFA okayed the emergency Chinese embassy request for shelter against bad weather. Request for shelter; not permission to stay and be watched. Period.”

Officials from other Philippine agencies gave conflicting accounts of when the Chinese research ship entered Philippine territory.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo said the Jia Geng entered the country’s waters on Jan. 29 and left shortly before noon on Monday. The Chinese vessel’s captain rejected an attempt by Filipino coast guard personnel to board the ship, Balilo noted.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs’ Maritime Division later released a statement claiming the ship entered Philippine water on Jan. 27. The Chinese embassy requested permission for the ship to “take wind shelter” within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone on Thursday and reiterated the request on Friday.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, a Manila-based newspaper, reported that the ship had been spotted within the Philippine territory on Jan. 25.

The intrusions come days after Beijing enacted a new coast guard law that authorizes its coast guard officials to strike at any foreign vessel or structure in waters “under China’s jurisdiction.” Several Philippine fishermen and officials took it as a “virtual declaration of war.”

Philippine presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said Manila was considering taking Beijing to the Internation Tribunal for the Law of the Sea over the measure. However, Locsin dismissed Roque’s suggestion and told the spokesperson to “lay off.”

“I am not listening to Harry Roque. Love the guy but he’s not competent in this field. We do not go back to The Hague. We might lose what we won. Harry, lay off,” Locsin said.