Philippine Coast Guard official reports grounding of suspected Chinese militia vessel in Spratly Islands

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has observed a grounded vessel suspected to be operated by the China Maritime Militia in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea over the weekend, a senior official of the service has confirmed.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said in a social media post earlier this week that the vessel identified by the bow number 16838 had run aground approximately one nautical mile from Philippine-occupied Thitu Island.

"The said Chinese vessel was likely driven into the shallow area due to adverse sea conditions, characterised by wave heights of two to three metres and strong winds," said Tarriela.

Coast guard personnel stationed on Thitu Island (known officially in the Philippines as Pag-Asa Island), "reached out to the grounded vessel to evaluate its condition and render support for its removal, aiming to prevent additional harm to the coral reef and territorial waters of Pag-Asa," Tarriela continued. "Unfortunately, the vessel did not respond to inquiries."

Tarriela said the vessel was able to free itself after approximately three hours without external assistance.

“Additionally, it was noted that the China Coast Guard [vessel] with bow number 5102 communicated with the Chinese Maritime Militia during this incident but opted not to approach, fearing that their own vessel might also be at risk of grounding in the shallow waters,” Tarriela said.

"The PCG, in collaboration with other organisations, is preparing to carry out an environmental damage assessment on the reef. The goal of this assessment is to evaluate any potential ecological impacts resulting from this situation."