Chinese research ship near the Batanes sparks undersea cable concerns in Manila
Philippine coastguard claims the vessel has been ‘loitering’ near islands that have become a geopolitical battleground amid boundary talks
Data recorded via the vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) for September, tracked by MarineTraffic, revealed that the Jia Hai Ke 7 research ship departed from Xiamen on China’s southeastern coast on September 19, arrived near Itbayat in the province of Batanes on September 22, and remained in the area through to at least Tuesday.
The Philippine coastguard confirmed the ship’s presence on Monday. Coastguard spokesman Jay Tarriela said the vessel was around 38 nautical miles (70km) northwest of Itbayat and displaying behaviour inconsistent with innocent passage.
“Rather than steaming on a steady course and speed, Jia Hai Ke 7 has been loitering and holding position in the same area – the movement pattern of a vessel conducting marine scientific research (MSR), not transit,” Tarriela said on social media.
