Philippines Tells China to Remove ‘Monster’ Ship Near Shore

(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines has raised alarm over a huge Chinese vessel moving closer to its western coast facing the South China Sea, underscoring fresh tensions arising shortly before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

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China should immediately withdraw its 12,000-ton Coast Guard ship widely known as “The Monster” which was spotted 77 nautical miles (143 kilometers) off the Philippines’ shores, said Jonathan Malaya of the Southeast Asian nation’s security council.

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“Lately, we were surprised about the increasing aggression being shown by the People’s Republic of China in deploying the monster ship,” Malaya said at a briefing Tuesday with other security officials. “It’s getting closer also to the Philippine coast. That is alarming.”

China defended its actions on Tuesday, telling the Philippines to stop provocations and activities that may complicate the situation and disrupt regional peace.

“China Coast Guard’s patrols and law enforcement activities in relevant waters in accordance with the law is beyond reproach,” Guo Jiakun, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, told a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

Philippines Protests ‘Illegal’ Moves by China Ships, Chopper

Manila and Beijing have clashed off the disputed waters in the past months, as both nations assert their claims. The Philippines is a longtime US treaty ally that allows it to call on American help in case of an armed attack in the disputed waterway that holds huge energy potential.

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China has recently bolstered its sweeping claims in the contested sea through deploying ships and holding large-scale drills, maintaining that these actions were justified. In 2016, an international tribunal said China’s sweeping claims have no legal basis, a ruling which Beijing rejects.

China’s latest moves may be due to the leadership change in the US, or a way to challenge the Philippines’ recent laws asserting its maritime rights while also normalizing its sea claim through the so-called “nine-dash line,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said at the same briefing.

--With assistance from Andreo Calonzo and Colum Murphy.

(Updates with China foreign ministry comments in fifth paragraph.)

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