A CHINESE deep-sea research ship has been monitored moving around the Philippines' east coast and well within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for over two days.
The deep sea research ship has been identified as Hong Kong-based Shen Kuo, which carries the submersible Rainbow Fish.
At the same time, China's Dien Ke 1 Hao vessel has been sighted monitoring ships taking part in this year's Balikatan exercises, said retired US Air Force Col. Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project that monitors and reports activities in the South China Sea.
China's state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council said the Dien Ke 1 Hao is "able to conduct all kinds of tests for electronic devices such as radars, drones, unmanned boats and other equipment, as well as work in underwater sound and meteorological exploration."
It is China's first combined marine information equipment test ship.
In addition, it can also satisfy various needs in the transportation of experimental equipment and scientific research personnel as well as material replenishment on islands.
The Chinese ship was sighted as the Philippines, the United States and France conducted joint navy drills off the coast of Palawan in the West Philippine Sea. The ship is believed to be shadowing the drills.
The Chinese "spy vessel" came as close as two nautical miles to Philippine and US ships taking part in the drills and shadowed them for at least eight hours as they traveled through the country's EEZ.
Another Chinese surveillance ship was later spotted in the same area.
China has voiced its opposition to the joint drills as it too claims the waters and has sent its Coast Guard, navy and maritime militia vessels into the area of the drills.
On Sunday, another vessel of China's People's Liberation Army Navy was spotted near the Balikatan exercises off Palawan waters.
The vessel (bow number 578) was spotted around 9 a.m. between 7 and 8 nautical miles of the maritime exercise flotilla, sailing in the northern part of Palawan, Western Command (Wescom) spokesman Capt. Ariel Joseph Coloma said.
"I cannot speak for them, but we are monitoring them, and we record, then we report whatever our ships are monitoring in the area," he said when asked what the Chinese vessel was doing.
Coloma said the first Chinese navy vessel (bow number 793) spotted Saturday was no longer in the vicinity.
Filipino, American and French naval vessels conducted a search and rescue training exercise Sunday.
The ships are the Philippine Navy's offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) and landing dock BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602); USS Navy's landing ship dock USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49); and the French Navy's Floreal-class frigate FS Vendémiaire (FFH-734).
Coloma said they were not bothered by the presence of the uninvited ship as there was no provocation.
"As long [as] we continue to monitor and report them, we are in control of the situation, and besides, the exercises are still ongoing," he said in English and Filipino.
The maritime exercise started April 25 and will end April 29.