The Philippine Coast Guard announced that China stationed their largest coast guard vessel at the Escoda Shoal on Saturday, a disputed territory in the South China Sea.
In a statement on X, spokesperson Jay Tarriela identified the ship as the 12,000-ton CCG 5901 and confirmed that it had set anchor in his country’s Exclusive Economic Zone after entering the area from Hainan on July 2.
Tarriela later described the incident as "an intimidation," while noting that the cutter’s position is less than 800 yards from a stationary PCG outpost.
The two countries have had regular confrontations in the region because of Beijing claiming sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, a policy that has also drawn criticism from Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Last month, two Philippine supply crafts were seized by China while they were attempting to resupply a naval contingent at the Second Thomas Shoal, several Filipino sailors were reported injured in the incursion.
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