Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
THE China Coast Guard (CCG) 5901, considered the world’s largest, has joined other Chinese vessels in an area off Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal that is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
According to United States-based national security expert Ray Powell, CCG 5901, nicknamed “the monster” due to its size, joined another CCG vessel, 4203, and the “still-growing swarm” of 32 Chinese maritime vessels off Ayungin Shoal which lies just 104 nautical miles west of Palawan
This data was based on monitoring through automatic identification system (AIS) as of Friday morning.
The 12,000-ton CCG 5901 is armed with heavy machine guns and also has a helicopter platform and a hangar that can accommodate larger rotary-wing aircraft.
By tonnage, the CCG 5901 is double the size of a United States Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser and is also bigger than an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.
Last June 30, at least forty-eight Chinese fishing vessels were also sighted swarming off Iroquois Reef, located south of the oil and gas-rich Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea which is also well within the Philippines’ EEZ.
This information came from the latest air patrol conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
— Franco Jose C. Baroña
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