PH eyes coast guard dialogue with China, after ‘monster ship’ returns to West Philippine Sea 

MANILA, Philippines — Days after the Philippines’ National Security Council (NSC) demanded that the China Coast Guard (CCG) pull out a “monster ship” that was sailing off the coast of Zambales, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it was hoping to “establish a means of cooperation” between the CCG and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo told reporters Wednesday, January 15, that “possible cooperation” between the two coast guards would be discussed in a bilateral meeting between the vice ministers of the two countries on Thursday, January 16.

“We will, of course, be discussing the situation in the region, the South China Sea, the West Philippine Sea, including the recent developments, and of course other issues which have been under discussion for some time, which are aimed at seeing how we can cooperate in certain areas such as in the environment and even possible cooperation between the coast guards of the Philippines and China,” said Manalo on the sidelines of a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Manila.

Philippine diplomats are in Xiamen, China to meet their Chinese counterparts, another meeting under the Bilateral Cooperation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea.

The BCM, hosted alternately between the two countries, is meant to be a forum where officials of the DFA and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tackle issues in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea, an area that includes the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China claims most of the South China Sea, including areas where the Philippines has sovereign rights.

The PCG has been raising alarm over the presence of CCG vessel 5901, a 12,000-ton ship, some 60-90 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales. The “monster ship” had momentarily left, then returned to the same area, in what NSC spokesperson Assistance Director General Jonathan Malaya has described as a “provocative act and a clear attempt to intimidate our fishermen and deprive them of their legitimate livelihood.”

This would not be the first time for a BCM meeting to take place after or even as tensions between the two countries out at sea.

In July 2024, Manila hosted a BCM meeting in the aftermath of a June 17 confrontation between the CCG and Philippine soldiers during a mission to rotate troops and bring supplies to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. It was during that BCM meeting in Manila that the two countries first floated the “possible resumption” of a Duterte-era Joint Coast Guard Committee (JCGC).

“I don’t want to prejudge the final outcome but it’s going to be aimed at promoting cooperation,” said Manalo of the proposed coast guard dialogue.

Manalo refused to go into specifics when pressed if the Philippines would demand the withdrawal of the “monster ship” during the meeting in Xiamen. “Well, those are… what is normally discussed in the bilateral consultation, especially recent developments or ongoing developments,” he told media.

Malaya, in a press conference on January 14, said the CCG’s latest actions were “alarming.”

“We were surprised by the increase in aggression being shown by the PRC in deploying the monster ship. The monster ship is not close to Bajo de Masinloc but it is getting closer to the Philippine coastline,” he said, flanked by military and PCG spokesperson, in a press conference.

Tensions between the Philippines and China have risen in the past year or so, particularly under the Marcos administration, which has taken a more forceful approach in asserting its rights and claims in the South China Sea, and in upholding the 2016 Arbitral Award.

At the same time, the Marcos administration has been keen on fortifying its relationships with long-time ally the United States and security partners like Japan and Australia.

Both Manalo and Japan Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi reiterated during their meeting on January 15 an emerging trilateral relationships between the US, Japan, and the Philippines. — Rappler.com