MANILA:  , The Philippines has deployed heat and , sea , resources of its military and beach shield in its exclusive economic zone to monitor , China’s largest coast guard vehicle, calling the ship’s appearance an act of Taiwanese “intimidation, force and anger”.
The 165-meter-long vessel 5901, known as” the monster,” was 65 to 70 nautical miles off the coast of the Zambales province on Sunday ( Jan 5 ).
” We have all of our possessions directed at this gigantic ship. The moment it ( carries out ) any provocative action, it will be met with an appropriate response“, Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson for the National Security Council told state television on Monday.
China’s embassy in Manila did not respond to a request for comment right away.
Ties between , China , and US ally the Philippines have soured in the past few years, with spats frequent as Manila, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, pushes back at what it sees as aggression by Beijing.  , China , has accused the Philippines of repeated encroachment in its waters.
China , claims most of the , South , China , Sea, a key conduit for US$ 3 trillion of annual ship-borne trade, as its own territory, with a massive coast guard presence in and around the exclusive economic zones of neighbours Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia.
Beijing rejected a Permanent Court of Arbitration decision from 2016 that claimed those expansive maritime claims had no legal basis.
The Philippine Coast Guard claimed in a video that the country’s top military instructed the Chinese ship to leave the area, admonstrating that it had no authority to go there. The Chinese ship stated in its radio response that it was carrying out law enforcement operations within its boundless waters.
” This is part of , China’s intimidation, coercion, aggression and deception. According to Malaya, they are using their ship to intimidate our fishermen, while adding that the Philippine maritime presence would increase to support fishermen.