‘World’s largest’: China sends ‘The Monster’ ship to scare Philippines

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hina has deployed what it believed to be the world’s largest coastguard vessel to the seas around the Philippines. Officially designated Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) 5901, the ship is nicknamed “The Monster.”

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that the ship has been deployed to the Scarborough Shoal. She is accompanied by two other smaller vessels.

The “Monster” is 541 feet (165 meters) long and was first launched in 2016. Ostensibly being deployed for “anti-trespassing” duties, the ship’s presence could heighten tensions between China and Manila.

The “Monster” was spotted 50 nautical miles (93 kilometers) off the contested Scarborough Shoal last Friday (May 24). It was accompanied by another 335-foot (102-meter) long coastguard ship.

Manila and the “Monster”

Beijing refers to the shoal as Huangyan Island, while Manila has named it Panatag Shoal. The two vessels were positioned within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, which spans some 230 miles (370 kilometers).

SCMP reports that under China’s trespassing policy, the Chinese coastguard can detain foreign nationals for up to 60 days if caught within Beijing’s claimed maritime territory.

Moreover, there have already been some incidents between the CCG and local maritime vessels. For example, last month, Chinese coastguard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine vessels near the shoal.

When asked about potential scenarios if China continues with its new policy, security analyst Joshua Espeña, a resident fellow and vice president of the International Development and Security Cooperation, stated that the Philippines would be compelled to resist arrests perceived as acts of aggression.

“The Marcos government is urged to strongly communicate this to the Chinese side to dissuade any untoward incidents. As Marcos mentioned in an interview during his working visit to Australia, the regional conflict might be triggered because of miscalculations,” he said.

“But it is also telling that Beijing is forcing Manila’s hand into this dangerous scenario by decisively calculating that arrests will make them achieve their objectives overnight,” Espeña told This Week in Asia in a separate interview.

Tensions heightening in the Scarborough Shoal

“We can imagine a tit-for-tat scenario from mere arrest to a deadly stand-off into a limited regional conflict as the Philippine security forces seek to rescue Filipino fishers in any case. This will be followed by China’s entry of the People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels to dissuade the Philippines from making further moves. This inevitably would involve the Philippine armed forces entering into a scene,” he added.

China seized control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012, a traditional fishing area for Filipino fishermen. The area is within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and the event led to a two-month standoff with the Philippine Navy.

“If that is so, Beijing will worsen the situation by placing bigger and more sophisticated toys at sea. At that point, Manila is likely consulting its American counterparts that already have a minimum presence via EDCA bases,” said Espeña. This refers to the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, a pact with the United States to hold large-scale joint military exercises on Philippine soil.

“All parts of the country will be put on a high alert, which means bringing in more US forces to strike against Chinese targets. The Chinese will, of course, upscale its activities, but it also risks the US bringing everything to the table,” he added.