China's 'monster ship' back near Ayungin Shoal —maritime expert

China Coast Guard (CCG) 5901, the world's largest coast guard ship known as "The Monster," was again spotted in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippines Sea (WPS) on Wednesday, a maritime expert monitoring ship movements in the South China Sea said.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), former US Air Force official and former Defence Attaché Ray Powell said the CCG 5901 has joined CCG 5203 in Ayungin Shoal as of 7:26 a.m.

"The 165-meter China Coast Guard 5901 ('The Monster') has returned for another intrusive patrol in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and has just joined the 102-meter CCG 5203 at 2nd Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal," Powell said.

BRP Sierra Madre of the Philippine Navy is located in Ayungin Shoal.

Philippine Navy spokesperson for WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad confirmed the report to GMA News Online. He said the "monster" ship passed Ayungin on its way to Mischief Reef.

“Yes, dumaan siya (Yes, it passed) on the way to Mischief Reef,” he said in a message.

As of 2:30 p.m., Powell said the Chinese vessel was heading to the direction of Escoda Shoal, where the Philippines Coast Guard's BRP Teresa Magbanua has been stationed since April.

????UPDATE: "The Monster", ????????#China Coast Guard 5901, is now headed in the direction of Sabina (Escoda) Shoal, where the ????????#Philippines Coast Guard's BRP Teresa Magbanua has been stationed since April. https://t.co/EXWAyhtFrH pic.twitter.com/aiTdbuWQ1j

— Ray Powell (@GordianKnotRay) July 3, 2024

The CCG 5901 was last spotted in Ayungin Shoal on June 24. Its voyage in the WPS started followed the June 17 violent incident in the shoal involving Chinese and Filipino personnel, resulting in one Filipino navy officer losing his thumb.

EXPLAINER: What is the Ayungin Shoal and why is it important?

Based on monitoring by Philippine authorities, the Chinese vessel passed through 12 features of the WPS in 10 days:

• Parola Island
• Pagasa Island
• Zamora Reef
• Bayani Bank
• Union Bank
• Kagitingan Reef
• Rizal Reef
• Panganiban Reef
• Lawak Island 
• Patag Island
• Escoda Shoal
• Bajo De Masinloc

Aside from these WPS features, the gigantic ship also went to the waters of El Nido, Palawan, coming as close as 34 nautical miles from its coastline.

The Chinese vessel was last monitored 46 nautical miles southeast of Sanya, Hainan in China on June 27.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its territorial claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Manila refers parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize. —KBK/RSJ, GMA Integrated News