No coordination with Taiwan in driving away Chinese ship off Batanes --Tarriela

Make this your preferred source to get more updates from this publisher on Google.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) did not coordinate with the Taiwan Coast Guard when it drove away a Chinese research vessel allegedly conducting unauthorized marine scientific research off Itbayat, Batanes.

At a news forum in Quezon City, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela on Saturday said that up to three Taiwan Coast Guard vessels were also waiting to drive away the Chinese research ship once it exited the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“It is surprising that even the Taiwan Coast Guard is also seriously looking into the illegal MSR (marine scientific research) which could be conducted by this Chinese research vessel,” Tarriela said.

On Thursday, the PCG said it deployed a patrol vessel and an aircraft to drive away JIA HAI KE 7, which was conducting unauthorized marine scientific research within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Tarriela clarified that the PCG did not coordinate with the Taiwan Coast Guard during the operation.

“We don’t have any coordination whatsoever. I would like to believe that the Taiwan Coast Guard is just merely relying on the AIS (automatic identification system) data of the Philippines Coast Guard vessel that is why they have the idea that a Chinese research vessel together with China Coast Guard 2503 and the other coast guard vessel… would also be crossing the border of the exclusive economic zone of our country,” the PCG official said.

Tarriela also reiterated that the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that no such consent was given to JIA HAI KE 7. —VAL, GMA News