Chinese ship harasses PH vessel near Pag-asa
MORE than a dozen Chinese vessels tried to block a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship escorting marine scientists on the way to Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea.
Pag-asa is the second largest of the naturally occurring islands in Spratly Islands, located 500 kilometers west of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. It is administered by the municipality of Kalayaan.
Retired United States Air Force Col. Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project that monitors and reports activities in the South China Sea, said the “crowding” of the BRP Sindangan by 15 Chinese ships was monitored by satellite on Thursday, March 21.
Powell identified one of the Chinese ships as China Coast Guard (CCG) 5204.