The Philippines has accused China of asserting sovereign rights over waters it does not own, opening a new front in their long-running maritime dispute far north of the usual flashpoints. On Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it "firmly and strongly rejects" the Chinese Embassy's claim that Beijing has "sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the waters off Batanes," after the Philippine Coast Guard drove away a Chinese research vessel detected deep inside the Philippine exclusive economic zone. Beijing has doubled down, accusing the coast guard of "harassing" its ship and vowing "resolute measures" to defend what it calls its legitimate rights.

The ship at the centre of the row

At the heart of the confrontation is the Chinese research and survey vessel Jia Hai Ke 7, which Philippine authorities say was detected operating about 37 nautical miles northwest of Itbayat, Batanes — well within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), measured from the country's northernmost island province. The Philippine Coast Guard said it monitored the vessel for several days and conducted what Manila describes as "lawful and routine law enforcement operations" against suspected unauthorized marine scientific research. When challenged over radio, the Chinese vessel reportedly went unanswered, according to Philippine coast guard footage.

The diplomatic fuse was lit on Thursday, October 1, when Chinese Embassy deputy spokesperson Guo Wei declared that the Jia Hai Ke 7 was conducting "normal operations in waters under China's jurisdiction" and accused the Philippine Coast Guard of harassment that "infringes upon China's sovereign rights and jurisdiction" and endangered the safety of Chinese vessels and crew.

Two readings of international law

Both sides claim the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea supports their position. Manila cites Article 246, which states that marine scientific research in a coastal state's EEZ and continental shelf requires that state's consent. "The Philippines did not receive any request from the Chinese side and no consent has been given to any Chinese vessel" to conduct such research, the DFA said, calling on Beijing to "fulfill its obligations under international law and avoid actions that are counter-productive and undermine efforts to rebuild mutual trust."

Beijing, by contrast, invokes Articles 74 and 83 of the Convention, which provide that states with overlapping maritime entitlements should settle their boundaries through negotiation. The Chinese embassy did not publicly explain the precise geographic basis of its claimed jurisdiction over waters some 37 nautical miles off Itbayat — an unusually far-reaching assertion, given that the dispute between the two countries had until now centred on the West Philippine Sea hundreds of kilometres to the west.

Manila closes ranks — with a hawkish edge

The Philippine response has been notably unified, with an added martial note. Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, the coast guard's spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told the Chinese embassy to stop meddling and vowed that the coast guard would keep driving away Chinese research ships that operate in Philippine waters without permission. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. struck an even harder line, describing himself as an "advocate, not a diplomat" whose job is to resist what he called unlawful interference with Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"We strongly call on China to fulfill its obligations under international law," the DFA said, adding that the Philippines "will continue to uphold the country's sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its EEZ peacefully and responsibly in accordance with international law."

Why Batanes changes the map

The row marks a geographic shift. For years, the maritime contest between Manila and Beijing has played out around reefs and shoals in the South China Sea — areas the Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea. A claim touching the waters off Batanes, in the Luzon Strait approaches to the Philippine Sea, effectively stretches the theatre of friction to the country's northern doorstep, close to Taiwan and one of Asia's busiest shipping corridors.

That expansion comes at a delicate moment: Manila has been tightening defence cooperation with the United States, Japan and Australia, while Beijing has pressed its claims with growing frequency. Whether the Jia Hai Ke 7 incident becomes a one-off diplomatic flare-up or the template for a new northern pressure campaign will depend on what happens the next time a Chinese research vessel loiters off Itbayat — and how far the Philippine Coast Guard is willing to go to make it leave.

Key takeaways

  • The DFA on October 2 "firmly and strongly rejected" China's claim of sovereign rights and jurisdiction over waters off Batanes.
  • The Chinese research vessel Jia Hai Ke 7 was detected about 37 nautical miles northwest of Itbayat — well inside the Philippines' 200nm EEZ.
  • Manila says the vessel conducted unauthorized marine scientific research; under UNCLOS Article 246, such research in an EEZ requires the coastal state's consent.
  • Beijing called the coast guard's response "harassment" and vowed "resolute measures," citing UNCLOS Articles 74 and 83.
  • The row opens a new northern front in a dispute long centred on the West Philippine Sea.

FAQ

Where is Batanes?

Batanes is the Philippines' northernmost province, a small archipelago in the Luzon Strait between Luzon and Taiwan, prized for its windswept coastlines — and strategically positioned near major shipping lanes.

What is Jia Hai Ke 7?

A Chinese research and survey vessel that the Philippine Coast Guard says was conducting suspected unauthorized marine scientific research about 37 nautical miles northwest of Itbayat, inside the Philippine EEZ.

What does UNCLOS say about marine research?

Article 246 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea requires coastal-state consent for marine scientific research in its exclusive economic zone and on its continental shelf. Manila says no request was received and no consent was given.

Could this escalate into a wider confrontation?

Both sides are framing the dispute in legal terms, and Manila has stressed it acts "peacefully and responsibly." But China's promise of "resolute measures" and the Philippine defence secretary's hawkish posture suggest the waters off Batanes could become a recurring test of wills.

Sources

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