South China Sea: Beijing risks conflict with Philippines over ‘Monster’ ship to enforce anti-trespassing policy

Beijing has deployed two vessels near Scarborough Shoal including the 165-metre Chinese coastguard vessel dubbed ‘The Monster’

Disputes in the South China Sea might lead to miscalculations and trigger a wider regional conflict, an analyst warns

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Philippine coastguard personnel on a rubber boat at a ceremony at a seaport in Manila. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 3:02pm, 27 May 2024Updated: 3:35pm, 27 May 2024

China’s deployment of its largest coastguard vessel to the South China Sea is seen by analysts as an effort to enforce its new anti-trespassing policy that could heighten the risk of conflict with the Philippines and regional tensions.

The 165-metre Chinese coastguard vessel with bow number 5901, nicknamed “The Monster”, was seen on Friday 93km (50 nautical miles) off the Scarborough Shoal, a highly contested maritime feature, accompanied by another 102-metre long coastguard ship. Beijing refers to the shoal as Huangyan Island while Manila has named it Panatag Shoal.

The location of the two vessels put them within the Philippines’ 370-kilometre wide exclusive economic zone.

In other recent disputes over the shoal, the Philippines has accused China of destroying coral reefs in the area. Beijing has dismissed Manila’s claim. Last month, Chinese coastguard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine vessels near the shoal.

Security analyst Joshua Espeña, a resident fellow and vice-president of the International Development and Security Cooperation, said Beijing had foreseen its new policy – under which the Chinese coastguard can detain foreign nationals for up to 60 days if they were caught within the maritime territory claimed by Beijing – was unfeasible without a stronger presence in the disputed waters.

“It was sent there as a gatekeeper to help enforce the law soon. It only shows there’s friction between the Philippines and China in the Panatag Shoal … like a Cold War,” Espeña told reporters on Saturday during an interview.