The Philippine Coast Guard Is Calling Out China for Illegal Research
The PCG said China undermined Manila's sovereign rights over the gas-rich feature within the country's exclusive economic zone.
by JV Ordoñez
Published on May 7, 2026
As the Philippines still tries to capitalize on making its first natural gas find earlier this year, Manila's coast guard has condemned China's research activities near the Reed Bank and the South China Sea for undermining the Southeast Asian nation's sovereign rights over the waterway, which is known to be rich in oil and gas.
In a statement, the agency said its aircraft spotted Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 33 near Iroquois Reef during a routine patrol on May 6.
The PCG also spotted one Chinese Coast Guard vessel, and 13 Chinese maritoime militia ships.
The Chinese research vessel, the Xiang Yang Hong, left China last month on April 15 and conducted operations at Second Thomas Shoal, Sabina Shoal, Mischief Reef, and Jackson Atoll.
It was also seen deploying a service boat toward the reef for these so-called research operations.
Manila's coast guard asserted that Beijing was not authorized to conduct marine research following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration had ruled against Beijing’s claim of nearly the entirety of the waterway for violating the 1982 UNCLOS.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. in January announced the discovery of a major natural gas field called the East-1 reservoir (MAE-1) located about five kilometers east of the existing Malampaya field off Palawan province, estimated to contain about 98 billion cubic feet of gas in place.
ASEAN heads of state in Cebu for a regional bloc meeting, with the ongoing energy crisis at the core of discussions.
Regional leaders are also expected to renew calls for the completion of a code of conduct between the bloc and Beijing for the disputed waterway. Earlier, heads of state set 2026 as a target for completing the code amid overlapping claims and concerns over trade ties with China.
In 2024, Marcos said that the Philippines would look into exploring gas reserves in non-conflict areas within the country's exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea even amidst China's aggression in the waterway.
The president noted that talks with China on oil and gas exploration in the strategic waterway have not progressed due to disagreements on which areas fall within their respective territories.
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