US Ally Intercepts Chinese Ship Near Coast: Video
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Philippines has released footage of its coast guard intercepting a Chinese civilian research vessel amid the ship's dayslong presence in the United States ally's maritime zone.
The Philippine coast guard accused the vessel of "conducting unauthorized marine scientific research activities," marking the latest point of contention in the neighbors' territorial dispute.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Philippine coast guard for comment.
Why It Matters
Under international maritime law, foreign-flagged ships are permitted to sail through another nation's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but cannot exploit natural resources or carry out marine scientific research without permission.
China claims upwards of 90 percent of the South China Sea, conflicting with the overlapping claims of several neighbors, including the Philippines. Beijing's expanding presence within the Philippine EEZ—comprising coast guard, paramilitary, and naval vessels—has faced stiff resistance from the U.S. defense-treaty ally, at times leading to dramatic confrontations.
What To Know
On Monday morning, the 340-foot Tan Suo San Hao, or Discovery No. 3, was located some 106 miles off the coast of the northern Philippine province of Ilocos Norte, Philippine spokesperson Jay Tarriela wrote Monday on X (formerly Twitter).
The Philippine coast guard deployed one of its largest ships, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, and an aircraft to observe, challenge, and escort the vessel out of the zone.
The 340-foot Chinese research vessel the Discovery No. 3 operating within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone on May 5, 2025.
The 340-foot Chinese research vessel the Discovery No. 3 operating within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone on May 5, 2025.
Philippine Coast Guard
Footage shows a crew member aboard the Teresa Magbanua hailing the Chinese vessel by radio, informing it that its actions were inconsistent with freedom of navigation and ordering it to halt its "illegal activities."
According to Tarriela, the Chinese ship ignored the coast guard's radio broadcast.
Separate footage posted by the coast guard on Tuesday shows the Discovery No. 3 retrieving what appears to be the deep-sea submersible Shenhai Yong Shi, or Deep-Sea Warrior, and dispatching personnel aboard a rigid-hull inflatable boat to recover a yellow, tube-shaped object from the water.
The state-affiliated Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering operates both Discovery No. 3 and the submersible. The manned deep-diving vehicle can reach depths of up to 4,500 meters (approximately 14,760 feet).
The Chinese ship was operating near Balikatan, the largest annual joint military exercise between the U.S. and the Philippines.
This year, the U.S. drew China's ire after deploying the NMESIS anti-ship missile system for the first time on a far-north Philippine island in strategic Luzon, a location the U.S. views as a critical chokepoint in the event of a conflict with China—particularly over Taiwan, the self-ruled island Beijing claims is its territory.
China's Foreign Ministry issued a warning to "those who would play with fire" on the Taiwan issue and said the drills and deployment of strategic weapons foment regional instability.
Although Beijing insists these oceanic research ships serve civilian purposes, security analysts suspect they are also being used to collect intelligence for China's military, citing instances of unusual behavior and Beijing's history of relying on dual-use assets.
What People Are Saying
Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Singapore's Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, on X: "Smoking gun of the PRC [People's Republic of China] research vessel conducting unauthorized marine scientific research with its deep-sea bathyscaphe deployed, and the Philippines exercising its EEZ sovereign right to challenge and escort the vessel away."
Monty Khanna, retired rear admiral with the Indian Navy, wrote for the New Delhi-based National Maritime Foundation think tank in March: "China's investment in [manned deep-dives] continues to grow as exemplified by its announced project to build a deep-sea research center permanently stationed at a depth of 2,000 meters.
"Continued research in this field will give China a head start to commercially exploit seabed resources as and when norms to do so get established. The dual-use nature of such submersibles also needs to be kept in mind, particularly in the context of interfering with undersea fiber-optic cables, the incidents of which have witnessed a sharp increase over the last two years."
What Happens Next
China has yet to respond to the Philippine coast guard's reports, and it's unclear how long the Discovery No. 3 will depart the Philippine EEZ.
The Balikatan drills are set to conclude on Saturday.
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