On July 12, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported the interception of the Type 815A electronic surveillance ship Tianwangxing (hull number 793) operating about 69 nautical miles (128km) off the western Philippines, within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.
Despite repeated radio challenges from the flagship PCG vessel Teresa Magbanua, the Tianwangxing remained unresponsive while the accompanying China Coast Guard (CCG) ship undertook manoeuvres described by the PCG as “asserting Beijing’s jurisdiction over the disputed waters”.
The Chinese spy ship, accompanied by the CCG’s Zhaojun-class cutter 4203 and later joined by PLA Navy Type 052D guided missile destroyer Guilin (hull number 164), was conducting what appeared to be intelligence-gathering operations during the US-Philippine Cope Thunder aerial combat exercise.
The drills, carried out on July 7-18, saw America’s most advanced F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters deployed to the Philippines for the first time.
In April, the Japanese defence ministry also reported spotting two PLA Navy Type 815A spy ships near Japan’s southwestern islands.
It said Japanese naval vessels closely monitored the Yuhengxing (hull number 798) and the Kaiyangxing (hull number 796) as they made their way from the Philippine Sea to the East China Sea, the first one passing through the strategic Miyako Strait and the other sailing between Taiwan and Japan’s Yonaguni Island.
