CHINA said over the weekend that it is committed to defending its territorial claims following reports that a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel shadowed a Philippine civilian mission in the West Philippine Sea on Friday morning.
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy criticized the Philippine civil society coalition Atin Ito, saying it has “repeatedly attempted to carry out provocative activities under the pretext of safeguarding the Philippines’ territorial sovereignty,” adding that such efforts have “ended in failure.”
The embassy said China “will continue to resolutely safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”
The statement came after Atin Ito reported that a CCG vessel, bearing bow number 3103, was observed trailing the Philippine-flagged vessel MV Kapitan Felix Oca, which was en route to Pag-asa Island.
Atin Ito spokesman Emman Hizon said the Chinese vessel was monitored at about 7:20 a.m. at a distance of about 3.2 nautical miles from the civilian mission ship.
At the time of the sighting, the MV Kapitan Felix Oca was estimated to be about 90 nautical miles from Manila and about 60 nautical miles west of Mindoro.
The civilian mission is part of ongoing initiatives to assert the Philippine presence and support communities on Pag-asa Island, a key Philippine-held feature in the disputed West Philippine Sea.
The latest encounter underscores continuing tensions in the area, which forms part of the broader South China Sea — an increasingly contested maritime region involving overlapping claims by China and several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines.
