February 11, 2025
MANILA – One of China’s largest fisheries research ships was spotted “transiting” in the Philippines’ archipelagic waters, a United States maritime expert reported on Monday.
“The Lan Hai 101, one of China’s two largest fisheries research ships, is now transiting the Philippines’ archipelagic waters. It appears to be en route to the Philippine Sea,” said Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, a program of Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation.
“Its companion, Lan Hai 201, continues to survey the Arabian Sea,” he further revealed on X (formerly Twitter).
Powell’s post includes a map indicating the purported locations of the Chinese ships.
INQUIRER.net sought the side of the Philippine Coast Guard regarding Powell’s tweet but it has yet to respond as of posting time.
Beijing’s continued aggression was based on its assertion of sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, as it continues to reject the 2016 arbitral ruling that effectively dismissed its claims and ruled in favor of Manila.