US Ally Responds to Chinese Activity in Disputed Waters
Newsweek reached out to the Korean coast guard and Chinese Foreign Ministry by email with requests for comment outside office hours.
The Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) was established by a 2001 agreement between China and South Korea to allow joint fishing in the area where their exclusive economic zones overlap. Other activities, including scientific surveys, are not explicitly permitted and generally require consent from the other party.
Analysts have accused Chinese civilian research vessels of suspicious behavior and raised concerns that they gather intelligence-such as on natural resources, undersea cables and local military activities-that could be used by the People's Liberation Army to strengthen China's position in disputed areas.
Vessel-tracking data shared by SeaLight showed that four Chinese research vessels entered the PMZ on June 15, reportedly for a "water quality investigation," according to Beijing.
In a ship-tracking illustration shared to X (formerly Twitter) by SeaLight director Ray Powell, a South Korean Coast Guard cutter was seen moving in to monitor the Chinese survey ships. China responded by dispatching one of its own coast guard vessels on June 24 to provide escort.
The research vessels were still in the area as of Saturday, Powell said.
The PMZ has already been a source of tension over the presence of two Chinese aquaculture cages and a former oil rig, roughly the size of a football field, which Beijing installed without consulting Seoul. China has refused to remove the structure from the area.
South Korean officials worry these moves may be part of broader efforts to expand China's presence in the Yellow Sea-mirroring concerns voiced by other neighbors over Beijing's activities in the South China Sea.
Last month, China's decision to declare a "no-sail zone" within the PMZ for its advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, also drew a protest from Seoul over restrictions to freedom of navigation.
Powell wrote on X: "China's increased unilateral activities in the PMZ carries all the marks of gray zone expansionism, and has clearly drawn the attention of the South Korean government as indicated by Korea Coast Guard deployment."
Neither country had issued an official statement regarding the research ships as of the time of publication.
In April, Chinese and South Korean officials held a third dialogue on maritime cooperation, which included discussions about the contentious structures in the PMZ.
They agreed to hold another round of talks and to prevent the issue from impacting the development of bilateral ties, according to the South Korean press release that followed.
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