Philippine Coast Guard pushes back against China's expanded claim in Batanes waters

A Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel forced a Chinese Coast Guard ship to retreat 25 nautical miles off Cabra Island in Mindoro, then proceeded to the northern archipelago of Batanes. There, a Chinese research vessel, Jia Hai Ke 7, was observed operating 38 nautical miles from Itbayat Island, an area the Chinese embassy says lies within Beijing's jurisdiction based on overlapping maritime claims and UNCLOS articles. Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela highlighted that this marks the first overt Chinese claim over Batanes waters and warned that the zone is vital because it hosts undersea cables linking mainland Asia to the Philippines.

In a separate incident, PCG units expelled Chinese fishing boats that approached Kota Island in the Kalayaan Island Group, noting the vessels did not deploy nets and appeared to be conducting a survey. The PCG maintains that, under UNCLOS, foreign vessels may transit but cannot fish or conduct research without permission. Both sides cite diplomatic negotiations to resolve the dispute.