ANewsweek map shows the path followed by Chinese Coast Guard’s “Monster” ship as it patrolled within the Philippines’ maritime zone in recent weeks, despite the U.S. ally’s continued protests.
Newsweek reached out to the Philippine Coast Guard and Chinese Foreign Ministry with written requests for comment.
Why It Matters
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea as its territory, within its dashed line, a unilaterally imposed demarcation that stretches into the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of several neighbors. An international arbitral court‘s 2016 decision rejected these sweeping claims, but China maintains the ruling is invalid, citing historical rights.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal state is accorded sole access to natural resources within its EEZ, which extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from the coast. The Philippines has mounted the strongest challenge to Chinese activities in the zone, prompting the Chinese Coast Guard to respond with ramming, blockades, and water cannons, injuring Philippine servicemen on multiple occasions.
