Manila: The Chinese Research Vessel (CRV) Lan Hai 101 is anticipated to reach the northern region of the Philippines late Tuesday afternoon or early evening, as confirmed by a high-ranking naval official.
According to Philippines News Agency, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), reported that the Chinese vessel was observed navigating “northward, almost true north.” He noted that the CRV was located west of Subic Bay, approximately four to five hours from Cabra Island, traveling at a speed of 12 knots. This distance roughly translates to 60 nautical miles.
Trinidad projected that the CRV Lan Hai 101 would likely be in the northern part of the Philippines by late Tuesday afternoon or early evening, should it maintain its current speed. Furthermore, he estimated that the vessel would exit the country’s northern exclusive economic zone (EEZ) by “midnight or early morning” on Wednesday.
The vessel departed from Port Klang in Malaysia and was challenged by a littoral monitoring station in Balabac, Palawan, on the afternoon of February 9. The ship’s crew promptly responded to the Philippine challenge, providing all necessary voyage details, including their last port of call, the next destination, the skipper’s name, and the presence of 56 crew members. The crew cited adverse weather conditions in the western part of Palawan as their reason for traversing through the Philippines’ archipelagic sea lanes, which is permitted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Per the information provided, the Chinese ship’s next port of call is in Shandong, China. Trinidad expressed that the response from the Chinese crew was “acceptable” since foreign ships are entitled to the right of archipelagic sea lanes passage under UNCLOS. He also confirmed that the vessel’s passage was both continuous and expeditious, having exited Coron the previous night.
Trinidad emphasized the vigilance of the monitoring stations, underscoring that they successfully tracked the vessel upon its entry into the EEZ and issued challenges as it came within radio frequency range. The report was subsequently conveyed to the next naval operating force and unified command, who also issued challenges as the vessel passed Lubang Island. This behavior is standard for foreign ships of any nationality traversing through the archipelagic waters.
The Philippine Navy remains committed to monitoring such incidents, as the military possesses the capability alongside the recently enacted Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act. Trinidad assured that the Navy’s vigilance in monitoring the EEZ is unwavering and that the research vessel complied with established protocols in responding to challenges.
