00:00 [News Reporter] The two research survey vessels of China have been released from the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines.
00:06 They were spotted near the Philippine Rise, according to the Philippine Navy.
00:10 Maki Polido was spotted.
00:13 [News Reporter] In September, the last three survey ships of China were spotted near the Philippine Rise,
00:20 an underwater plateau in the northeastern seaboard of the Philippines.
00:24 It is in the lobby of our Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ, and the rich were left out of oil, gas, and other marine resources.
00:32 On February 26, the former US Air Force official, Ray Powell, posted that there are two ships of China that were spotted near the plateau.
00:43 In the monitoring of the Philippine Navy, the two research survey vessels from Guangzhou, China and Pacific Ocean were found.
00:50 If we will track the course of both survey ships coming from the port of origin to the Pacific,
00:57 that is more or less the vicinity they would be after two or three days of travel.
01:01 In transit, or the survey ships of China just passed by,
01:05 for now, the two survey ships are outside the Philippine EEZ.
01:09 Passing through the Exclusive Economic Zone or a coastal state is allowed under UNGLOS.
01:15 Doing research or other activities will help to inform the coastal state and in some cases, get the consent of the coastal state.
01:24 In the other place of the country, the West Philippine Sea, aside from the South Sea Fleet of China and China Coast Guard,
01:32 there are more ships of the Chinese maritime militia.
01:35 In the monitoring of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative,
01:39 the average number of militia vessels spotted in different places in the West Philippine Sea every day in 2023 is more than last year.
01:50 The Philippine Navy said that these are private fishing vessels that were given a permit by China to fish inside the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines,
01:58 but they are receiving orders from the Chinese military.
02:02 I would call them a clear and present challenge, not a danger. This is part of what we are navigating. It's a new environment now.
02:11 There is no new statement from China that they have been diminishing their sovereignty in the territories of the West Philippine Sea.
02:18 For GMA Integrated News, Macky Pulido, for 24 Hours.
02:23 [News reporter speaking]
02:35 [♪♪]
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