PH says Chinese platform removed from Panatag Shoal

UNDER PROTEST Photo shows a Chinese research vessel as seen Tuesday at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal where, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), it was used to dismantle a floating platform illegally installed by the Chinese for “research.” —PHOTO FROM PCG MANILA, Philippines — Philippine authorities on Wednesday said the floating platform earlier sighted inside the lagoon of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal had been removed, weeks after Manila filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing over its presence at the disputed area in the West Philippine Sea. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said the latest patrols and monitoring conducted on Wednesday confirmed the removal of the platform from Bajo de Masinloc, the other Philippine name for the shoal. “The Philippines lodged a formal diplomatic protest against its presence soon after it was detected,” the NTF-WPS said in a statement. “While we take note of the removal, we reiterate our principled and unyielding position: Bajo de Masinloc is and will always be an integral part of Philippine territory.” On Tuesday night, the Chinese Embassy in Manila acknowledged the existence of the platform and stated its purpose for the first time since Manila called attention to it on May 25. READ: AFP says Chinese research activities in Panatag may have military use The embassy’s deputy spokesperson, Guo Wei, described the platform as a temporary scientific research facility established by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was set up to serve as a “sampling and experimental platform” intended to study the shoal’s ecosystem and provide support for environmental protection efforts, Guo said. He said the “research mission has now been successfully completed.” The embassy defended the research as a legitimate exercise of China’s sovereignty and consistent with international law, asserting that the shoal— named by Beijing as Huangyan Dao—is Chinese territory. ‘Share’ the data Reacting to the embassy statement on Wednesday, Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) challenged China to publicly release the data gathered in the research. READ: Tarriela challenges China: Release Panatag Shoal research mission data “If what they did was really for the conservation or preservation of the environment and for the benefit of the world, it would be a good idea for the Chinese Embassy to share with us the data they obtained,” Tarriela told reporters in a chance interview in Pasay City. The PCG spokesperson maintained that the research activity was unauthorized, saying only the Philippines has the legal right to conduct marine scientific research at Panatag. The platform was first monitored by Philippine authorities on May 25 during patrol flights conducted by the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). The platform, which officials described as a movable floating structure, had an estimated deck area of about 30 square meters. It had four metal stilts that allowed it to remain stationary at specific locations. Its discovery prompted the Philippines to file a diplomatic protest and demand its immediate removal. On June 16, a day before the removal was confirmed, the Armed Forces of the Philippines warned that the research and surveying activities conducted by the Chinese could also have military applications. Panatag Shoal has been under China’s effective control since the 2012 standoff between the Philippine Navy and Chinese marine surveillance vessels. The shoal lies about 926 kilometers from Hainan, China’s southernmost province, and only some 357 km off Palauig, Zambales province. This places it within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which extends to roughly 370 km from the nearest Philippine coastline. Manila continues to assert its rights in the area, citing the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, the waters covering the EEZ. Timeline The PCG started sounding the alarm over the platform earlier this month, with Tarriela presenting commercial satellite images of the area and how it changed in a matter of days. As of May 20, there was still no man-made structure within the lagoon. A day later, two Chinese research vessels—Yue Xia Yu Zhi 20028 and Yue Zhan Yu 6—were spotted. By May 25, the images showed that a square-shaped object had formed near the southeastern entrance of the shoal. This was further confirmed by flights conducted by the BFAR and PCG. At least six persons were spotted on the platform on May 30. The following day, the structure was seen being moved from the shoal’s entrance into the lagoon using two service boats operated by 12 to 15 crewmen. Officials also noted the use of buoys and the installation of an antenna-looking structure near the shoal’s entrance.