The China Coast Guard’s (CCG) largest vessel, the CCG 5901, known as “The Monster,” conducted a “brief intrusive patrol” near Scarborough Shoal, maritime security expert and former U.S. Air Force official Ray Powell reported on Friday, May 24.
The 165-meter vessel, accompanied by the 102-meter CCG 5203, was observed in the area at approximately 5:15 AM.
Powell, via X (formerly Twitter), highlighted China’s strategy of conducting intrusive patrols within the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of neighboring countries to assert and normalize its jurisdiction over disputed areas.
Philippine Navy spokesperson Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad confirmed that the CCG ship was last spotted 50 nautical miles off Panatag Shoal. He assured that the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) and the Philippine Coast Guard will respond appropriately to the situation.
“The actions, the response will be at the NTF-WPS level. It’s a Chinese coast guard ship and there will be [an] appropriate response from the NTF, the Coast Guard,” Trinidad stated during the Philippine Navy’s 126th Anniversary event in Manila.