China has deployed a naval supply vessel to support its coast guard operations amid territorial disputes with the Philippines, a United States ally, in the South China Sea.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Citing its so-called “historic rights,” China claims sovereignty over most maritime features in the South China Sea, overlapping with those claimed by the Philippines—which signed a mutual defense treaty with the U.S. in 1951—and other countries.
The disputes between Beijing and Manila center on Scarborough Shoal, known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China. The feature lies within the Philippine exclusive economic zone but is under China’s effective control.
The China Coast Guard, which operates the world’s largest maritime law enforcement fleet, according to a Pentagon report, maintains a strong presence near the disputed maritime feature, leading to standoffs and clashes with its Philippine counterpart.
What To Know
According to footage captured by ABS-CBN News during a Philippine Coast Guard maritime domain awareness flight on Friday, two Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels operated near Scarborough Shoal with four Chinese coast guard ships.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, told local reporters that the flight aimed to challenge what he called an “unlawful declaration” of a Chinese naval training exercise within the Philippine exclusive economic zone.
An exclusive economic zone, where a coastal state has sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve and manage natural resources, extends up to 230 miles from the coastline, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
A Chinese naval vessel was spotted apparently conducting at-sea replenishment with a Chinese coast guard ship. The vessel, bearing hull number 885, is identified as CNS Qinghaihu, a replenishment ship assigned to China’s Southern Theater Command.
The Southern Theater Command is responsible for Chinese military operations in the South China Sea and for securing the country’s border with Southeast Asia, according to the Pentagon. The command often conducts training drills in the South China Sea.
“So far this is not something I recall observing before,” Alex Luck, a naval analyst in Australia, told Newsweek regarding the at-sea replenishment between Chinese naval and coast guard ships. “That said, I am also not surprised to see such activities.”
The analyst noted that it is expected for the Chinese navy and coast guard to establish “comparable operational practices,” given the latter’s expanding activities and fleet modernization, including building and fielding larger ships with increased endurance.
By deploying naval auxiliary vessels for supply missions, the Chinese coast guard can maximize its operational availability in the South China Sea, Luck added, describing the region as an expansive body of water with significant distances.
There is no current indication the Chinese coast guard will operate its own fleet of replenishment ships, the analyst said. Keeping them under Chinese navy control would still benefit the coast guard and simplify operational planning for the navy.
What People Are Saying
Alex Luck, a naval analyst in Australia, told Newsweek: “Replenishment at sea would enable Chinese coast guard units to maintain a persistent presence including in contested waters near the coastal areas of countries such as the Philippines.”
The Pentagon’s Chinese military power report 2024 commented: “The [China Coast Guard]’s continued expansion and modernization makes it the largest maritime law enforcement fleet in the world. Newer [China Coast Guard] vessels are larger and more capable, enabling them to operate farther off shore and remain on station longer.”
What Happens Next
Luck told Newsweek that the possibility of the China Coast Guard one day operating its own replenishment ships to bolster its presence in the South China Sea cannot be ruled out.
