A China Coast Guard (CCH) vessel intercepted two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels near the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, according to a maritime expert on Sunday.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), former US Air Force official and former defense attaché Ray Powell said that CCG 5203 blocked the BRP Cabra and BRP Cape Engano which were passing 14 nautical miles east of Ayungin Shoal.
Meanwhile, six Chinese maritime militia vessels were also closely shadowing the PCG vessels.
Powell said that both PCG patrol vessels earlier transmitted their automatic identification signals (AIS) 18 nautical miles south of Ayungin Shoal.
According to Powell, this prompted the Chinese to dispatch seven more militia vessels “to bolster blockade around 2TS while CCG 5203 went south [and] first interdicted the 2 [Philippines] ships at 0700.”
GMA News Online reached out to the PCG for more information on the encounter, but it has yet to respond.
The Ayungin Shoal, which China calls Ren’ai Reef, is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone and is part of its continental shelf. —RF, GMA Integrated News
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