KE XUE SAN HAO

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Chinese survey ship conducting unauthorized operations in the Philippine EEZ

The 'Ke Xue San Hao' was conducting unauthorized operations in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ), just 20 nautical miles off the Sabina Shoal for about 10 days, It has been doing a zigzag pattern close to Sabina and the southern part of Sabina Shoal, it was announced on Aug 6, 2024. China did not ask for permission to conduct survey operation. The Chinese government lays claim to a large swath of the western Philippine EEZ, along with the vast majority of the South China Sea, despite the 2016 arbitral ruling that found its claims invalid under UNCLOS. The Philippine cutter BRP 'Teresa Magbanua' has been stationed at Sabina Shoal for months in order to closely monitor Chinese movements. Last month, the China Coast Guard dispatched the world's largest cutter, the'CCG 5901', to anchor at a position within 800 yards of the Magbanua. As of Aug 5, shewas still holding the same position. China regularly deploys survey vessels to operate without authorization in waters claimed by its neighbors, including Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam. In June, the government of Vietnam vigorously protested the operations of a new Chinese survey vessel in the Gulf of Tonkin, alleging that the ship was engaged in "illegal" activities in the Vietnamese exclusive economic zone. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/chinese-survey-vessel-loiters-near-sabina-shoal-raising-suspicions