UP denounces China for harassing its marine scientists near Pag-asa

THE University of the Philippines lashed out at the Chinese Coast Guard for harassing its scientists conducting marine scientific research in the West Philippine Sea.

The Chinese Coast Guard said Thursday it stopped 34 Filipino marine scientists and fisheries experts from conducting joint scientific research from Sandy Cay, a rock formation few kilometers away from Pag-asa Island, the biggest island occupied by the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“The Philippines is conducting a marine resources survey within its own territory, Pag-asa Island. Civilian scientific research activities to assess the status of the marine resources within the Kalayaan Island Group, which are of limited and temporary scope, do not represent any plausible threat to China or whatever interests it might have,” Dr. Jay L. Batongbacal, director of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, told Businessmirror.

China Coast Guard narrative

ACCORDING to the CCG spokesperson Gan Yu, the Filipinos “ignored China’s warning and dissuasion and illegally occupied” Sandy Cay (Chinese name: Tiexian Reef) on March 21.

A report from Wechat’s news platform cited “reports” that the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources boat BRP Datu Sanday entered Pag-asa Island.

“It [BFAR boat] carried a number of so-called marine biologists who claimed to be from a university in the Philippines [and may also include members of the Philippine political and military circles] to illegally invade the Tiexian Reef…to conduct a so-called illegal ‘joint survey of marine resources,’” the Wechat blogger wrote, quoting a statement from the Chinese Coast Guard.

The CCG ship 5204 and Chinese fishing boats near the area “intercepted” BRP Datu Sanday “in accordance with the law.”

The report also said Chinese Navy Type 054A frigate missile shadowed the fishing boat, prompting the marine scientists to transfer from the BFAR boat to the PCG vessel.

China also deployed a Changhe Z-18 medium-lift transport chopper to the area for “surveillance.”

Based on a satellite photo taken on March 21 at around 5:55pm, a total of 13 Chinese vessels—two were Chinese Coast Guard and 11 were militia fishing vessels—encircled the Sandy Cay.

The Wechat news platform also published videos of the Chinese harassment, apparently taken from one of participants in the Philippine research vessels.