A spokesman for the Philippines’ National Security Council said Manila was surprised by China’s “increasing aggressiveness” in maritime disputes.

The Philippines says China’s deployment of its largest coast guard vessel within Manila’s exclusive maritime economic zone (EEZ) is alarming and apparently aimed at intimidating fishermen operating near shoals in disputed waters in the South China Sea.

National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya said on Tuesday that Manila had protested the presence of the 165-meter (541-foot) Chinese Coast Guard vessel No. 5901, which was 77 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales province. 142 kilometers) was found. Ask it to withdraw from its exclusive economic zone.

“We are surprised by the increasing aggressiveness shown by the People’s Republic of China in deploying this giant ship,” Malaya said.

“This is an escalation and a provocation,” he said, calling the ship’s presence “illegal” and “unacceptable.”

The Philippine Coast Guard said it had deployed its two largest ships to drive away the Chinese vessel.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday that China’s coast guard’s “patrol and law enforcement activities” in the area were “reasonable, legal and beyond reproach.”

The Philippine National Maritime Commission on Monday also condemned the “illegal presence and actions” of “Chinese maritime forces and militia” in the country’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, noting that two coast guard vessels and a Chinese naval helicopter were “circling” the Philippine coast Guard vessel.

“The escalating actions of these Chinese vessels and aircraft are in clear disregard of Philippine and international law,” the committee said in a statement.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 | 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐌𝐂 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐂𝐆 𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐙 pic.twitter.com/0sN0qiy7If

— Presidential Office of Maritime Affairs (@POMC57) January 13, 2025

Tensions between the Philippines and Beijing have increased significantly over the past two years over overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

In 2016, an international tribunal ruled that China’s claims to a large swath of the disputed waterway had no basis, but Beijing refused to accept the ruling.

China’s extensive territorial claims overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The South China Sea is a strategic waterway with approximately US$3 trillion in commercial transactions every year.