The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday said one of the Chinese research vessels earlier monitored at Scarborough Shoal has left the area following maritime domain awareness (MDA) operations.
PCG West Philippine Sea spokesperson Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela said the vessel Yue Zhan Yu Ke 6 was earlier observed dismantling a floating platform and loading its components onto its stern during an aerial patrol on Monday.
“Throughout the flight, the aircraft consistently challenged the vessel’s illegal marine scientific research (MSR) activities,” Tarriela said.
A follow-up MDA flight on Wednesday confirmed that the floating platform was no longer present at the shoal, and the vessel that transported its components had also departed the area.
Tarriela added that another Chinese research vessel, Yue Xia Yu Zhi 20028, remained in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc.