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Newsweek
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Chinese Ship Detected Near US Military Exercises With Ally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Chinese government research ship has been observed inside the Philippines' maritime zone, close to where the Southeast Asian country and the U.S. are conducting their largest annual military exercise. Its presence raises questions over whether its purpose is purely scientific. Why It Matters The arrival of the Tan Suo San Hao, or Discovery No. 3, comes amid territorial tensions between Manila and Beijing, as China ramps up its activity within the Philippines' internationally recognized exclusive economic zone (EEZ)—which extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from the coast and within which Manila alone is entitled to natural resources under international maritime law. China claims most of the South China Sea as its territory. Its coast guard has employed increasingly forceful tactics to assert these claims, including the use of water cannon that have injured Philippine sailors, raising concerns over what might trigger Manila's Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington. Newsweek reached out to the Philippine coast guard and the Chinese Foreign Ministry with written requests for comment. What To Know The Discovery No. 3 remained within the Philippine EEZ as of Monday morning local time, according to ship-tracking data shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Ray Powell, director of the Stanford University-affiliated SeaLight maritime analysis organization. The Philippines dispatched the BRP Teresa Magbanua, one of its largest coast guard ships, to intercept the Chinese vessel, based on AIS location transponder data from both ships. The vessel has been operating southeast of the Batanes islands, where the U.S. has for the first time deployed an NMESIS ship-killing missile system as part of the ongoing joint drills. This undated photo released in December by Chinese state media, shows the Tan Suo San Hao, hailed as China's "first comprehensive scientific research ship." This undated photo released in December by Chinese state media, shows the Tan Suo San Hao, hailed as China's "first comprehensive scientific research ship." China Media Group China's first "comprehensive scientific research ship," the Discovery No. 3, was delivered in December to the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, part of the state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences. The 340-foot vessel was designed with icebreaking capabilities, can accommodate up to 80 personnel, and can support deep-sea operations in icy environments. The potential for this and other research vessels to serve dual purposes—along with behaviors such as disabling AIS transponders for days to avoid detection—has raised concerns that they are being used to gather intelligence on a massive scale for the Chinese military. China has stressed these civilian ships are engaged in scientific research. The Batanes islands, the Philippines' northernmost territory, lie in the strategic Bashi Channel—a key chokepoint in the event of a conflict involving Taiwan, the self-governed island claimed by China. As the Philippines and the U.S. kicked off their joint drills, China reiterated its claim over Taiwan and warned that "those who play with fire will set themselves on fire." Chinese naval forces appear to have been observing Balikatan events from distance. Chinese aircraft carrier the Shandong was spotted just a few miles off the northern Philippines' far northern Baubuyan island, said ABS-CBN, citing the Philippine navy. Separately, three other warships were spotted about 30 miles off the Philippines' Zambales province on April 27. What People Are Saying The Center for Strategic International Studies wrote in a January report: China's dual-use approach to oceanographic research raises questions about the nature of these activities. Many vessels that undertake missions for peaceful purposes are also capable of providing the PLA with critical data about the world's oceans. Of the 64 active vessels, over 80 percent have demonstrated suspect behavior or possess organizational links suggesting their involvement in advancing Beijing's geopolitical agenda. What's Next The Balikatan drills will conclude on May 10.
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
China using ‘mysterious structures' to claim territory
South Korea fears China is using a series of steel structures to lay claim to a disputed area of the Yellow Sea. Seoul's foreign ministry on Thursday expressed 'deep concern' to Beijing over a gigantic sea rig it has installed in an area where the two nations' exclusive economic zones overlap. China dismissed the concerns, saying that the structure is a fish farm support facility and that it had nothing to do with territorial rights. However, South Korea, which demanded that its 'legitimate maritime rights not be violated', believes China could be attempting to expand its waters using tactics it used a decade ago in the South China Sea. Seoul says the structure, an old French oil rig with a helicopter landing pad, is effectively an artificial island designed to reinforce Beijing's claims over the area. Other Chinese facilities, the Shenlan-1 and Shenlan-2 platforms, are located nearby. China says they are fish farms. On Wednesday, Cho Tae-yul, the South Korean foreign minister, told parliament the government was considering a response that could include installing a similar facility in the area to reinforce its own territorial claims. Analysts discovered the rig, reportedly the size of a football pitch, after South Korean media reported a standoff between Korean vessels investigating the structure, and the Chinese coast guard. Ray Powell, director of maritime analysis group SeaLight, tracked one of the ships involved in the incident, and told Newsweek: 'I knew I could find the coordinates of the mysterious 'steel structure' I kept reading about'. The structures are located in the provisional measures zone, a disputed area where, under an agreement signed in 2001, fishing boats are permitted to operate. The agreement, however, expressly forbids the construction of facilities as well as searching for or developing natural resources in the area. Mr Powell said China could be using the rigs in a 'salami-slicing' strategy designed to incrementally expand its presence in the disputed waters. In 2020, Beijing unilaterally declared the zone to be its 'internal waters'. Familiar tactics The face-off between Seoul and Beijing has echoes of an incident in 2014, when China put an oil rig within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone to expand its control over a large part of the South China Sea and the Paracel Islands. Vietnam responded decisively and China withdrew the rig after two months, claiming their research had been completed early. China has employed a similar tactic in Japanese waters, anchoring large buoys within Japan's exclusive economic zone and claiming that they are merely weather and ocean monitoring devices and that Japan has no reason to interfere with the equipment. One of the buoys is close to the uninhabited Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Japan but claimed by China. Beijing has previously sought to shore up its claims over virtually the entire South China Sea by building island bases on coral atolls.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
China using ‘mysterious structures' to expand its waters
South Korea fears China is using a series of steel structures to lay claim to a disputed area of the Yellow Sea. Seoul's foreign ministry on Thursday expressed 'deep concern' to Beijing over a gigantic sea rig it has installed in an area where the two nations' exclusive economic zones overlap. China dismissed the concerns, saying that the structure is a fish farm support facility and that it had nothing to do with territorial rights. However, South Korea, which demanded that its 'legitimate maritime rights not be violated', believes China could be attempting to expand its waters using tactics it used a decade ago in the South China Sea. Seoul says the structure, an old French oil rig with a helicopter landing pad, is effectively an artificial island designed to reinforce Beijing's claims over the area. Other Chinese facilities, the Shenlan-1 and Shenlan-2 platforms, are located nearby. China says they are fish farms. On Wednesday, Cho Tae-yul, the South Korean foreign minister, told parliament the government was considering a response that could include installing a similar facility in the area to reinforce its own territorial claims. Analysts discovered the rig, reportedly the size of a football pitch, after South Korean media reported a standoff between Korean vessels investigating the structure, and the Chinese coast guard. Ray Powell, director of maritime analysis group SeaLight, tracked one of the ships involved in the incident, and told Newsweek: 'I knew I could find the coordinates of the mysterious 'steel structure' I kept reading about'. The structures are located in the Provisional Measures Zone, a disputed area where, under an agreement signed in 2001, fishing boats are permitted to operate. The agreement, however, expressly forbids the construction of facilities as well as searching for or developing natural resources in the area. Mr Powell said China could be using the rigs in a 'salami-slicing' strategy designed to incrementally expand its presence in the disputed waters. In 2020, Beijing unilaterally declared the zone to be its 'internal waters'. The face-off between Seoul and Beijing has echoes of an incident in 2014, when China put an oil rig within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone to expand its control over a large part of the South China Sea and the Paracel Islands. Vietnam responded decisively and China withdrew the rig after two months, claiming their research had been completed early. China has employed a similar tactic in Japanese waters, anchoring large buoys within Japan's exclusive economic zone and claiming that they are merely weather and ocean monitoring devices and that Japan has no reason to interfere with the equipment. One of the buoys is close to the uninhabited Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Japan but claimed by China. Beijing has previously sought to shore up its claims over virtually the entire South China Sea by building island bases on coral atolls. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Miami Herald
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
China Responds as Territorial Dispute With US Ally Goes Public
Beijing has pushed back at South Korean concerns over a massive steel structure in the Yellow Sea that has raised alarm bells in Seoul The topic has resurfaced in local media following U.S.-based maritime analyst group SeaLight's review of new satellite images of the former oil drilling rig, as first reported in a Newsweek exclusive. The structure, installed in 2022, is the latest of several Chinese structures to be introduced in the Provisional Measures Zone-an area where China and South Korea's exclusive economic zones overlap. The PMZ was created under a 2000 agreement between the neighbors that bars activities unrelated to fishing and navigation, pending negotiations to establish permanent maritime boundaries. Newsweek reached out to the South Korean Embassy in the U.S. and the Chinese Embassy in South Korea with emailed requests for comment. South Korean officials have voiced objections after China expanded the structure without consulting the other party. Seoul is likely also concerned the jack-up rig-so named for the three legs that can be lower to the seafloor-could mark a semipermanent presence and gradual effort to shift the status quo in China's favor, echoing that country's expanding footprint in the maritime zones of the Philippines and Southeast Asian neighbors. China insists the facility is there to support aquaculture operations, such as those being carried out nearby by deep-sea farm Shen Lan 2 Hao, or Deep Blue No. 2. "The aquaculture facilities set up by Chinese company in the PMZ do not contravene the agreement between China and the ROK [Republic of Korea]," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during Monday's regular press briefing. He said China has "shared relevant information and maintained communication" with South Korea through the official channels and called on the country to "view this in an objective and reasonable manner." The official also stressed the neighbors are moving forward with negotiations and "actively carrying out cooperation" in the zone. The structure could house as many as 100 people, a South Korean Fisheries Ministry official told local media, citing technical specification of the former oil rig. According to estimates from SeaLight, a Stanford University-affiliated maritime analysis initiative, the structure is roughly as long as a football field and about 60 percent wider. It is equipped with a helipad and a radome, which typically encases an antenna. "South Korean authorities may suspect there is more happening there than just aquaculture, such as signals intelligence operations," SeaLight director Ray Powell previously told Newsweek. Yet so far, China has rebuffed South Korean attempts to gather more information. In late February, a research ship and a South Korean coast guard cutter were intercepted by the Chinese coast guard as they approached the rig to investigate. During the two-hour standoff that followed, the Chinese vessels became increasingly confrontational, sailing close and on multiple occasions cutting across the bow in a bid to block their Korean counterparts, according to ship-tracking data based on the vessels' AIS signatures, a broadcast of locations designed to avert collisions. Kang Do-hyung, South Korean minister of Oceans and Fisheries, was quoted by the Korea JoongAng Daily: "We regard proportional responses as a very serious matter from the perspective of protecting maritime territory, and [our] government will respond jointly at the national level." The PMZ structures are sure to feature when Chinese and South Korean representatives meet for talks this month. Kang said Seoul is reviewing "proportional" countermeasures to employ if China fails to be more forthcoming about the rig and its intended purpose. Related Articles Chinese Must Remove Stone Lions from the Arctic: ReportsTrump Tries To Isolate ChinaChina Releases Video of Encounter With US Aircraft Carrier Fighter JetChina Buyers Selling Knockoffs of Russian Military Gear Back to Russia 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
China Mapping Seafloor Around US Allies to Send Nuclear Submarines-Analyst
A Chinese vessel is suspected of mapping the seafloor around U.S. allies Australia and New Zealand to support submarine deployments, an analyst has said. All observed activities conducted by the ship, Tan Suo Yi Hao, "appear to be in accordance with international law," the Australian Defense Department told Newsweek. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment by email. The Tan Suo Yi Hao, which means "Discovery One" in English, is operated by the state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering. It is built for conducting deep-sea exploration and is the mother ship of two types of submersibles. China is expanding its military reach and presence within and beyond the western Pacific Ocean with the largest navy in the world by hull count-which has more than 370 vessels, including 12 nuclear-powered submarines, according to the latest Pentagon assessment. Last summer, three Chinese research vessels were tracked operating in the Indian Ocean for suspected survey missions, which could be used to aid in China's submarine warfare. Both Australia and New Zealand are part of the Five Eyes, a U.S.-led intelligence alliance. The Tan Suo Yi Hao was underway in the southeastern portion of the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia as of Tuesday, Ray Powell, the director of the Stanford University-affiliated SeaLight maritime analysis organization, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. A Newsweek map shows the Chinese ship was outside the Australian 200-nautical-mile (230-mile) exclusive economic zone (EEZ). It previously transited the Great Australian Bight off Australia's southern coastline and the country's EEZ after leaving New Zealand. The Chinese vessel did not take the "most direct" route back to China, where it is expected to arrive on April 30, Powell said, adding that the "dual-purpose" ship, which is reportedly capable of gathering intelligence, has another objective: surveying the Diamantina Trench. According to Powell, the Tan Suo Yi Hao paused its voyage twice over the trench, which has a depth of 8,047 meters (26,401 feet). The analyst said this could indicate the deployment of submersibles, which can reach 10,000 meters below sea level, according to its operator. The "most obvious" reason for China to carry out deep-sea research off Australia and New Zealand would be to facilitate its submarine force deployments, including submarines that are armed with nuclear missiles, at "strategic deep-sea locations," the analyst concluded. Prior to its voyage near Australia, the Chinese vessel conducted a joint research expedition from January to March with scientists from New Zealand at the Puysegur Trench's deepest point, located 6,208 meters below sea level and to the southwest of New Zealand. In a statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the Australian Defense Department said the "Chinese government-owned" Tan Suo Yi Hao was approximately 737 nautical miles west-southwest of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, as of Tuesday. Australia has not observed the Chinese deep-sea science and engineering research vessel "conducting maritime research or survey activities" within its EEZ, the statement added. Marine scientific research within the EEZ waters "shall be conducted with the consent of the coastal state," according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. A spokesperson for the Australian Defense Department said: "[The Australian Defense Force] monitored the Tan Suo Yi Hao as it transited to the south of Australia and while it remained in our maritime approaches." A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Australia said: "Over recent years China has conducted joint scientific expeditions with multiple countries, making positive contribution to global marine biodiversity protection and sustainable development. Politicizing or stigmatizing of the research activities is disrespectful to global scientific development." Alex Luck, a naval analyst in Australia, wrote on X: "China has had a long-standing program running to reach some of the deepest maritime regions. This has research applications, but also an obvious political and reputational angle as a maritime nation." It remains to be seen how long the Tan Suo Yi Hao will stay in the waters off Australia. Its voyage comes after China sent a flotilla for an unprecedented circumnavigation of Australia and the deployment of an American nuclear-powered submarine to Australia. Related Articles China Responds to Zelensky's Claim Chinese Soldiers Captured in UkraineNew Trump Tariffs Imposed With Over 100% on ChinaTrump Admin Responds to Ukraine's Capture of Chinese TroopsChina Reacts to Pete Hegseth's Panama Canal Remarks 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
